Back to The Workforce Optimization Blog

If you’ve been to a beach town in the summer or a ski resort in the winter, you’ve seen how businesses bring in seasonal staff to handle the temporary influx of customers. Hospitals face a similar challenge every winter. As physicians and advanced practice providers take time off between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day to recharge, healthcare organizations need a plan to maintain adequate coverage and support patient care.

The timing is particularly important because patient demand often rises as staffing levels dip. Similar to the “weekend effect,” fewer available providers can contribute to longer wait times, delayed care, and an increased risk of complications. Winter is also a time when hospitals can strengthen patient loyalty and attract new patients, but that only happens when care is timely and well‑coordinated. If your hospital isn’t staffed to meet demand, patients may question whether you can deliver the level of service they need.

Which Hospital Specialties See the Biggest Holiday Volume Spikes?

Typically, service lines like emergency medicine, pulmonology, cardiology, and orthopedics see increases in patient volume during the winter holiday season. And as the year draws to a close, patients often schedule appointments and procedures to take advantage of their met deductibles before they reset on Jan. 1, further spiking volume. For example:

Allergy and Immunology

While we typically think of spring as allergy season, experts warn that the holiday season can trigger allergic reactions, too. Patients may be exposed to indoor airborne allergens or irritants, such as pet dander, dust mites, molds, smoke, or real Christmas trees when visiting friends or family, causing rhinoconjunctivitis or asthma symptoms.

Cardiology

“Holiday Heart Syndrome,” a temporary irregular heart rhythm most often diagnosed as atrial fibrillation, can be triggered by excessive stress, large meals, high sodium intake, too much alcohol, and physical strain, such as snow shoveling. Trends also show an increase in heart attacks during the holidays. In fact, the American Heart Association says that more people die from heart attacks during the last week of December than at any other time of the year.

Emergency Departments

Slips and falls on ice or snow, car crashes in bad weather, accidents in the kitchen, and pediatric illnesses all put more people in the emergency department than normal. A study published in JAMA Network Open found that ER visits for children due to viral and respiratory illnesses spike a whopping 72% between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31.

Family Medicine and Internal Medicine

Increased in calories, carbs, alcohol, and sodium can lead to rapid weight gain, poor glucose control, GI distress, fluid retention, and cardiac issues. Primary care clinics often see a holiday rush due to issues like chronic disease flare-ups, fallout from inconsistent or missed doses of medication due to travel or changes in schedules, exacerbations of comorbidities due to viral illnesses, prescription refills before the holidays or before the end of the year, and colds, respiratory infections, and the flu.

Mental Health

For some, sadness, loneliness, extra stress, anxiety, family tension, feeling inadequate, and social media-driven disappointment can come hand-in-hand with the holidays. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 41% of adults say their level of stress increases during the holidays, while three in five Americans feel their mental health is negatively impacted by the holidays.

Orthopedics

Winter is synonymous with slips, falls on ice, skiing and snowboarding injuries, and joint pain from cold weather.

Pediatrics

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu, colds, fever-induced seizures, accidents with new toys, and swallowing foreign bodies or putting them up the nose can increase calls to pediatric clinics.

Pulmonology

Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more common around the Christmas holiday than during the rest of winter.

Surgical Specialties

It’s not uncommon to notice an end-of-year rush to book elective procedures before patient benefits reset on Jan. 1.

Urgent Care Centers

While primary care offices are closed for the holidays, urgent care centers see increased volume from patients with acute winter illnesses, minor injuries, kitchen accidents, and colds and flu. The busiest day of the year for urgent care providers is the day after Christmas, when centers can see a 50% uptick in visits, according to The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine.

How to Plan Hospital Staffing for High-Volume Holiday Days

When patient volumes rise and staffing drops, the impact is felt across the entire organization. Emergency departments fill up, procedures get delayed, and appointment backlogs grow. These problems don’t just affect patient experience; they also reduce revenue and can force hospitals to send patients elsewhere. Doctor shortages are especially challenging, leaving administrators scrambling to cover essential shifts and maintain quality standards.

Before the holiday season, consider:

• Proactively planning for adequate coverage for holidays and weekends to mitigate spikes and keep wait times manageable
• Encouraging patients with chronic conditions to schedule appointments or refill prescriptions before Thanksgiving
• Promoting flu and RSV vaccinations to curb respiratory illness admissions
• Educating patients on how to manage their chronic conditions during holiday travel

During the holidays, consider:

• Offering extended hours or holiday clinics to prevent non-urgent ER visits
• Offering telemedicine or outreach programs to check in with patients who have chronic conditions or recent hospitalizations
• Providing a phone line for non-critical issues to help guide patients to the appropriate care setting
• Educating the public about how to manage common health issues at home and the dangers of delaying care

How VISTA Supports Holiday Staffing Coverage

Hospitals that manage winter surges successfully don’t wait until the last minute. They treat seasonal planning as a year‑round strategy. Reviewing past trends, identifying high‑risk weeks, and building flexible staffing models months in advance helps leaders stay ahead of demand. As winter approaches, daily and weekly check‑ins on census, acuity, and staffing allow teams to make small adjustments before issues become costly. This proactive approach reduces overtime spikes, prevents burnout, and keeps operations running smoothly.

Locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners are a key part of this strategy. These temporary clinicians can step in when permanent staff is on vacation, ensuring coverage without overloading the remaining team. By bringing locums on early, hospitals avoid gaps in care, keep wait times under control, and prevent the cancellation of important procedures. Locums also protect staff well‑being by letting full‑time clinicians take time off without worrying about leaving colleagues short‑handed.

Ready to Staff for the Holidays Before the Surge Hits?

Since 1990, VISTA has helped hospitals quickly fill scheduling gaps with locum tenens physicians and advanced practice providers when permanent staff take PTO.

Our team works ahead of peak season to match facilities with qualified clinicians who can step in seamlessly, keeping departments fully staffed and patient flow steady. By relying on VISTA, hospitals can avoid delays in care, reduce the strain on their full‑time teams, and maintain high service levels during one of the busiest times of the year. Contact us to discuss your holiday staffing needs.