Give health staffing companies a contractual once-over

Contract Language. By Steven M. Harris, AMNews contributor. Nov. 1, 2004.

CONTRACT LANGUAGE

A column examining the ins and outs of contract issues

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If you have considered hiring additional staff for your practice, one option you might consider is a health care staffing company.

There are several advantages to using a health care staffing company, including: cost-effective provision of services, immediate availability of a licensed professional in a variety of disciplines, and a guarantee of appropriate staff licensure and insurance. Also, insurance coverage, including workers' compensation and liability, is usually paid by the company providing the staff.

Using a health care staffing company might be a way for you to explore whether a certain ancillary service, such as physical therapy, complements your practice and will be used by your patients. Before employing or contracting with a therapist, you might decide to use temporary staff to see if such a service is a good fit.

Of course, if you are considering a health care staffing company, you have to make sure you contract with a reputable one. You should check references and fully understand the company's capabilities before signing a contract.

Specifically look for the following key issues in any health care staffing contracts you are considering: qualifications, billing and collection, patient records, insurance, hiring staff members and proprietary information.

Qualifications. The staffing company should guarantee that the staff it will provide to your practice has all state and federal licenses, registrations and certifications required to provide health care services in your state. Before the temporary staff begins providing services in your office, make sure you have seen a copy of their appropriate licenses, registrations and certifications.