VISTA Staffing Solutions | Locum Tenens

On May 26^th we lost a dear friend, Carl Unsicker, MD, a VISTA Staffing Solutions medical director since our founding in 1990. Carl was 68 and a board certified orthopedic surgeon. Our hearts go out to his wife, Linda, and their children and grandchildren.

Carl was a driving force in our “pick up the phone and work things out” philosophy and was always willing to step in as coach, sounding board, expert, or wise friend. He was instrumental in building our credentials verification process, our peer review and QA programs, and our strong professional liability insurance offering. He was a down to earth, approachable, no-nonsense man.

It was only natural that, when Carl retired from full-time practice in 1998, he would try his hand at locum tenens. He went on to work in Gallup, NM, Roosevelt, UT, Marshalltown, IA, High Point, NC, and Ketchikan, Anchorage, Kodiak, and Juneau, AK.  He once said the key to enjoying locum tenens is understanding that, “Expectations are your enemy—flexibility is your friend.”

In 2000, Carl and Linda began regular medical missions to Africa. They settled into an enviable routine, working several short locum tenens assignments in Alaska between semi-annual trips to Sengerema Hospital in Tanzania. Linda is a certified orthopedic tech who “speaks Swahili better than I do,” according to Carl. She assisted in the OR, helped with PT, and managed the long queues of patients waiting for surgery.

Most of the surgeries performed were to correct birth defects, like club feet, in children. Carl said they didn’t go there to save the world, “Taking care of one child at a time is enough for us.”

When time permitted, they operated on adults and handled trauma cases. When they first visited Sengerema Hospital there were very few orthopedic surgery instruments, particularly for adult surgeries. On every subsequent visit they brought as much equipment as they could carry.

VISTA will be making a donation to Sengerema Hospital in Carl’s memory and Linda’s honor. If you would like to join us, please send your donations to Linda Unsicker, c/o Lori Douglas, VISTA Staffing Solutions, 275 East 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. The facility is in a very rural area and donations will have to be handled personally by Linda to ensure that the funds get to the right place.

If you are an orthopedic surgeon who would like to volunteer to help fill the big shoes Carl left behind in Tanzania, please contact Lori Douglas, VISTA VP of Operations, at 800-366-1884. Although Carl focused on pediatrics, this is not required. The need spans all ages.  

For more information about Carl and his work, read his profile on our Physician Stories page.

Carl and Linda Unsicker care for a child at Sengerema Hospital in Tanzania.

My 17-year-old daughter is throwing the dice. With much angst and inspiration. With as much guidance and support as we can work in. But she’s still throwing the dice on her future. She is filling out college applications.                    

Whether your exposure to the process is recent or a distant memory, you will no doubt recall the feeling that everything is possible and nothing is for sure. 

The essays for The Common Application and for the supplements required for individual schools have led to some wonderful conversations around our dinner (lunch, breakfast, coffee) table. Here are just a few of the prompts compiled by her high school counselors that she has considered:

• For some, it’s politics or sports or reading.  For others it may be researching solar power fuel cells or arranging hip hop mash-ups. What makes you tick? (Tufts)
• You have just finished shooting a roll of film. As you go to develop the film, the local merchant offers to make a postcard of one of your photos. Describe the photo, why you selected it and write a brief note to your friends back home. (University of the Pacific)
• You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217. (University of Pennsylvania)
• Tell one story about yourself that would best provide us, either directly or indirectly, with an insight into the kind of person you are. For example, the story can simply relate a personal experience, or a humorous anecdote; it can tell about an especially significant academic encounter or about an unusual test of character. The possibilities are unlimited (well, almost so). You choose. Just relax and write it. (Princeton)

I am delighted, surprised, confused, awestruck by the answers and themes she has come up with. And I’m so proud that she wants to bounce them off of her father and me before disappearing into her room with her laptop.

I defy anyone to witness this process and NOT want to delve into his or her own psyche.

At VISTA we always see a spike in inquiries about locum tenens jobs and new permanent physician jobs right after the holidays. We call it the New Year’s Resolution Physician Job Search. If you are currently in the ranks of physicians considering a change, or if you could be, or should be, or want to be, here’s hoping that you find a little time in the next few weeks to ponder a Big Question. Whether you craft an essay, make notes on an envelope, talk it through with your dog, or spark a raging debate with your best friends, it’s an amazing way to discover yourself and what really matters to you as you move into a new chapter in life. Take it from a 17-year-old, and her mother.

A VISTA medical director and two locum tenens physicians featured in Minnesota Physician

Therus Kolff, MD, MPH, one of VISTA’s medical directors, penned the cover story for the March issue of Minnesota Physician. The article explains the nuts and bolts of locum tenens work and features two physicians who work locum tenens assignments in Minnesota through VISTA.

“The locum tenens industry in the United States was, quite literally, born of necessity,” Therus writes in the article, and he should know. He established the first locum tenens company in the nation in 1979 after a stint with a nonprofit organization that was formed to develop innovative solutions to rural health care issues.

Click here to read the entire locum tenens story, or visit the Minnesota Physician website.

The need for physicians in the Indian Health Service areas continues to grow. The Navajo Nation and the Aberdeen Area are two spots that continue to need locum tenens services in various specialties, including EM, FP, IM, surgery, anesthesiology, OB/GYN and many more.

 A little bit of background on the Navajo Nation

The Navajo Nation extends into the states of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The Navajo words, “Din`e Bik`eyah” mean the Navajoland.  The Navajo Nation is larger than 10 of the 50 US states. The Navajo language was used during World War II to create a secret code for our troops. Many Navajo men served during this time. They were called “Navajo Code Talkers.” Their commitment to our nation and to this cause is a great example of bravery and patriotism.

 The population of the Navajo Nation is over 250,000 people. Navajos live in some of the most beautiful, scenic locations in the country including Canyon de Chelly Monument, located in northeastern Arizona, which features a sandstone spire that rises 800 feet from the canyon floor, and the Grand Canyon, which is 277 miles long and reaches 18 miles wide in some spots.

 Introducing the Aberdeen Area

The Aberdeen Area extends into South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.  The population of the Aberdeen Area is approximately 94,000. There are nine hospitals in the area to help service this population.

The Aberdeen Area also has much to offer in terms of scenic beauty. The Black Hills appear dark from a distance because of the gorgeous spruce trees that blanket them. The prairies are home to the largest buffalo population in the country. The area is abundant with wildlife of many kinds, including deer, antelope, and coyotes.  Mount Rushmore offers the spectacular addition of man’s artistic touch and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area. The Badlands offer a scenic appeal for those who love wildflowers and striking colors. Many fossils have been found in these lands. One of the most intriguing is the saber toothed tiger. The Missouri River flows through North and South Dakota and is part of the border of Nebraska. This amazing river was once a major transportation link but now it feeds four major dams. The lakes (Lake Oahe, Lake Sharpe, Lewis and Clark Lake, and Lake Sakakawea) provide great fishing and beautiful blue water. Speaking of lakes, the Glacier Lakes in northeastern South Dakota provide some of the best fishing in the entire area.

VISTA has had the privilege of serving the unique patient populations in these areas for many years. When you are ready for your stint, give us a call!

VISTA was launched in a Salt Lake City neighborhood called Sugar House on March 5, 1990 in a spare bedroom, with three people, one phone, one computer, a card table, three plastic lawn chairs, and a very strong plan.

We had seven employees at the end of 1991, 100 employees by January 2004, and 198 in January 2010.

Central to the plan was establishing an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) at VISTA as soon as we were eligible to offer one. We recognized from the beginning that employees, and the relationships they were able to build with physicians and healthcare organizations, are the ‘intellectual property’ of a staffing company. We knew that those employees walked out the door every night and we wanted to make darn sure they walked back in the next morning.

The ESOP was created in 1991. At that time, the stock was valued at $0.62 per share. By 1996, as our revenue broke the $10 million mark, the stock was valued at $33.58.

In 2007, VISTA was acquired by On Assignment, Inc., one of the largest healthcare, scientific, IT, and engineering staffing companies in the US.  The proceeds from the sale of the company totaled $230 per share or 370 times the 1991 value. Thanks to the ESOP, employees shared in the proceeds, which was part of that all-important plan. It gave employees a real reason to think and act like owners.

In the beginning we were strictly a locum tenens company, but in two decades of growth we have expanded to include international placements for physicians in Australia, New Zealand, and Bermuda; year-long US placements; and permanent physician recruitment and consulting. Whatever your association with VISTA Staffing Solutions happens to be, thank you for being part of 20 great years. And here’s to 20 more!

The VISTA family got a little bigger last month as we welcomed the experienced search consultants from Fox Hill Associates. VISTA acquired Fox Hill, a very well respected permanent physician search firm with a 30-year history in the industry, on Oct. 1. All of the employees have accepted positions with VISTA!

The Fox Hill Folks will be joining the Physician Search and Consulting team that I manage. Consequently, I thought it was very important that we all get to know each other quickly. Fortunately I am currently in the running for a very prestigious award (see The Wrangler Face Off, The New Face of Wrangler), so I was able to offer a nice introduction to myself.

Here’s what I know about them so far:

The office is just outside of Milwaukee, so they are obviously cheeseheads and most likely Packer fans.

The have a combined 136 years of experience recruiting physicians.

Their clients love them. You only hear great things about Fox Hill in the market. I should know, I have been working with them and/or competing against them for 20 of their 30 years in business.

They share the VISTA sense of humor. We sent them all to a photo studio last week so we could include their portraits in our Meet VISTA section, and Patrice Streicher, Associate Director, demanded a little black comb from the photographer. The kind you used to get in elementary school when you lined up for school photos. Ok, this dates many of us, but we thought it was funny.

We think they fit right in to a company that believes in working hard and playing harder.

Welcome to VISTA Patti, Wade, Patrice, Patrick, Ellen, Chip, Suzy, Pat, and Mike.

I ran across this article in the March issue of Medical Economics that was written by Stephen Green, MD, an IM physician who works with VISTA. I have really enjoyed working on several licenses with Dr. Green. His article “Doc, you’re fired! We want someone else,” hit home with me in two ways.

In March my father was admitted to the hospital with a severe infection from a spider bite. My dad walked into the hospital on Saturday but by Monday he could no longer walk, talk, or even feed himself. The hospitalist who was assigned to my father did not communicate well with my mother; she was obviously scared, confused, and wanted to know why her husband was so sick. She asked repeatedly to speak with the doctor but he was never available and never called her.

Mom was finally able to talk to the hospitalist on Tuesday evening. He was very abrupt and clinical. He recommended that Dad be released from the hospital on Wednesday but said he would leave it up to the new doctor, as they rotate every seven days and a new doctor was scheduled to start the next day. Mom was even more scared at that point as Dad was barely conscious. She felt there was no way she could take care of him at home.

On Wednesday Dad got his new hospitalist—a locum tenens physician placed by one of our competitors! The doctor met with Mom and explained exactly what was going on with Dad and told her they would decide together what would be the best course of treatment. In Dr. Green’s article he states, “Most patients are now cared for by hospitalists rather than their familiar primary care physicians. In this new therapeutic relationship, a bond of trust needs to be forged rather quickly.” Unlike the first doctor, the locum tenens hospitalist was willing and able to establish that bond right off. He was able to put Mom at ease and kept her apprised of Dad’s condition and medications; together they worked on a treatment plan. Dad is now home and is almost back to normal.

I wish that I had found Dr. Green’s article sooner and “fired” the abrupt, uncommunicative doctor. That said—here’s to the personable, caring physicians who make great locum tenens doctors and to the organizations that place them. Thank you.

It's a little known fact that Feb. 17th is locum tenens bragging day. Well at least it is at VISTA. We send out evaluations to every physician recruited, and to both physicians and clients after every locums assignment. All we can say is 2009 is off to a great start. Here are excerpts from some of the evaluations we have received so far this year:

• Dr. Mc: “Lisa has made this an outstanding experience. She is good at predicting my needs and addresses the issues before I ask.”
• Dr. F: “LOVE Melanie, she goes above and beyond. Appreciate her help and others.”
• Dr. I: “I have never used anyone else but I would be hard pressed to imagine how anybody could exceed VISTA's performance. “
• Dr. S: “Betsy is a wonderful person to deal with! She is very personal and caring.”
• Client in Maine: “VISTA sets the standard for excellence in LT. Everything is communicated timely, providers are excellent, arrangements are flawless. “
• Dr. M: “Amy is the best so far.”
• Dr. R when asked how our performance compares to other companies: “I wouldn't know because I would never work with anyone else!”
• Dr. M: “Great! Janel was an excellent facilitator!”
• Dr. R: “The scheduling team was organized, very professional and pleasant (as well as my initial recruiter) everyone has been excellent! “
• Dr. B: “What set VISTA apart was meeting Jeremy in Boston at the Pediatric Conference.”
• Dr. T: “VISTA is more efficient and more courteous and user friendly. The lure of work in New Zealand and Australia prompted us to call VISTA. I think you try harder than other agencies and have more opportunities nationwide and internationally. The VISTA brand stands for good, hard working people who do their best to help MDs get good jobs.”
• Dr. M: “Nia has worked very hard to make sure my assignments went well. Everyone at VISTA has been very helpful.”
• Dr. A: “Bessie exceeded my expectations.”
• A client in West Virginia: “Julie, Jenee, and Rose have performed very well in executing their obligations. It is a pleasure to work with them.”
• Dr. B: “Your staff is professional, friendly, helpful. Really nice ladies!”
• Another client in Maine: “I have worked with other companies and have ceased doing so as no one else can compete or continuously provide the excellent service and candidates that we receive from VISTA.”

We're not really boastful people, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to recognize our great employees. As PT Barnum said, “When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt!”