A Perfect Match with J&C Nationwide

ICS helps J&C Nationwide pair Locum Tenens with medical facilities needing temporary staffing.

When an employee, such as a receptionist or an accounting associate, takes a temporary leave from most companies, finding a replacement isn't too difficult. The human resources department simply calls a temporary agency, and a suitable candidate is sent over to fill the void.

But what do you do when your company is a rural hospital in New Mexico, and the employee that needs to be replaced for just six months is an experienced oncologist who specializes in treating skin cancers? Many hospitals, clinics and medical facilities across the country turn to the Locum Tenen services of J&C Nationwide.

Locum Tenens (lo-k m te-nenz) are temporary replacements for medical staff -- usually doctors and specialized nurses -- who are employed when staff members need time off for extended leaves of any kind. J&C Nationwide offers a matching service that screens qualified applicants and refers them to facilities that need Locum Tenens. The service helps fill staffing needs while giving doctors the opportunity to "try out" new areas of the country and different kinds of medical facilities.

It sounds simple, but given the issues of safety, security and quality care that both patients and facilities require, the matching process can be very complex. Beginning in 1995, International Computer Systems (ICS) helped J&C Nationwide solve those complex problems using advanced application solutions, leading the company to nationwide prominence in the Locum Tenens industry.

"We built J&C Nationwide's solution from the ground up and produced a comprehensive solution to suit their business needs," said Lee Padron, solutions engineer at ICS. "As a result, they've gone from a handful of employees in a single location to five offices nationwide with dozens of specialists dedicated to matching needs with abilities."

The Locum Tenen solution required heavy-duty database experience and an understanding of the workflow and processes required to make matches. On the medical professional side, the solution had to manage basic data concerning the physicians' contact information, preferences for assignments and areas of speciality.

Additionally, it had to closely match and verify credentials of the professionals -- a difficult job made even more difficult with variations in licensing requirements by state and local entities. Expenses incurred by the professionals, such as travel and per diem, are also handled by the system.

"Doctors and medical personnel are generally very disciplined and exact people, with high standards of performance," said Michelle Jackman, project engineer for ICS. "Creating a solution that can handle the details and doesn't waste their time on matches for which they aren't interested in or qualified for is a service they really appreciate."

For the medical facilities that use J&C Nationwide's services, the solution had to be flexible and responsive to their needs as well. Available positions, referred to as "opportunities," have to be thoroughly documented. Billing issues are also addressed by the system.

ICS also provided the network design, deployment and support for J&C Nationwide's LAN and WAN that enabled the company to deliver its services.

"Technology is tremendously important to the success of this business," said Padron. "Our expertise with the DataEase database software upon which it was based, plus our role in the support and delivery of the application, is a source of pride for ICS."

Now ICS is preparing to take the Locum Tenens industry to the next level by creating an Internet-enabled version of their work. L-T 2000 is a new application created using Visual Basic and SQL databases that will offer many advantages over previous solutions. The solution created for J&C Nationwide, while robust and functional, still required manual processing. L-T 2000 will offer companies that deploy the solution a more automated product that encourages self-service by both Locum Tenens and the facilities that hire them.

"We are creating an e-mail notification feature that will send detailed opportunity information to potentially qualified physicians, based on their preferences and skills," said Ken Manning, a key developer on the project. "At the same time, clients will be e-mailed dynamically generated lists of potential matches when they submit their requirements for a position. All of this will be done with little intervention on behalf of the Locum Tenens provider."

Locum Tenens companies that choose L-T 2000 can count on ICS to continue improving the application product while offering support for the other components, such as storage and networking configurations.

"We have the staff and the knowledge of applications, databases, networks, deployment and support that are required in today's business environment," said Padron. "In ICS, companies that choose to work with us gain a partner with their best interests in mind."

E-commerce has effectively changed the nature of business and created new opportunities for companies like J&C Nationwide -- a company that couldn't have existed in its present state even a few years ago. With an eye on the future and a wealth of past experience behind them, ICS is poised to take others in the staffing market into the e-commerce world.

Call 800.294.1609 for more details.