BEVERLY HILLS, Mich., May 25 National Anesthesia Services, Inc. celebrates its 21st anniversary as one of America's premier medical staffing organizations. National places anesthesiologists and CRNA's on both a locum tenens and permanent basis in hospitals, surgery centers and medical facilities throughout the United States.
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"It was a different world back in 1989 when we first began," said president and owner Stephen Read. "The whole industry was only a couple years old and most people didn't even know what the term locum tenens meant." (It means 'a temporary substitute.')
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Read had a strong background in staffing and had already placed a number of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in jobs. He paid particular attention in the late '80s when he saw a severe shortage in anesthesia providers. Like all successful entrepreneurs he found a need and quickly jumped to fill it.
"You could virtually call any size hospital in any state, and get an order for a CRNA or an anesthesiologist," said Read. "Everyone needed help. We promised great service and fast turnaround. We delivered right from the start, never compromising our integrity and created strong, lasting relationships with our clients, most of whom still work with us today."
When Read started his business it was simply a matter of picking up the phone and calling a hospital to secure the anesthesia contract. The providers were found by placing ads in medical bulletins, journals and association newsletters. Today, advancements in technology have made the process simpler with most arrangements handled over the internet.
"We are available 24/7," said Read. "Pagers, text messaging, blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media keep us constantly connected to both clients and providers. With over 6,000 names in our database we can fill a position within a matter of hours."
Healthcare is largely dependent upon people having insurance coverage. If people lose their jobs, they lose their coverage and are less likely to go to their doctor or even have surgery. According to Read, the medical staffing industry runs in cycles. With the recent Healthcare Reform one thing is certain; there are big changes on the horizon.
"I see this as a time of opportunity," said Read. "With insurance companies cutting reimbursements, physicians may not make the kind of money they made in the past. Fewer young people will go into medicine. Older physicians will opt for early retirement. This could result in a severe shortage of physicians, setting the staffing industry in perpetual motion. Medical facilities will be looking for support in many departments including locum tenens radiology, hospitalists, emergency medicine and anesthesiology. I've been planning for the future," said Read. "My firm is prepared to place physicians in all of these fields. It's been a great 21 years and the future for the medical staffing industry looks brighter than ever."
www.nationalanesthesia.com
SOURCE National Anesthesia Services, Inc.
