Medix Partners with Leading Medical Center for Contract-to-Hire Solutions Amidst Nurse Staffing Shortage

The ability to provide exceptional patient care hinges on having the right team in place, a reality that a medical center confronted head-on when faced with a nurse staffing shortage in a critical area. The challenge wasn’t just about filling open positions; it was about securing highly skilled nursing talent with the specialized knowledge and experience required for behavioral health. The medical center explored a number of potential solutions, with options such as a healthcare MSP under consideration, before ultimately deciding on a partnership with Medix.

About the Client

• Based on the West Coast
• A community-based medical center focused on acute care and behavioral health services
• 5 locations and over 220 beds

The Challenge

The client faced a significant challenge in securing skilled nursing talent with behavioral health experience for long-term, full-time opportunities. Salary negotiations presented an additional hurdle, as the client aimed to pay fair wages but struggled to compete with larger organizations to offer compensation that allowed nurses to live comfortably while maintaining internal pay equity. Their prior experience with per diem nursing and other agency’s models did not align with their long-term hiring needs or offer a shared interest in converting staff to full-time employees. Without a solution, the client was facing long-term implications. The reliance on temporary staff placed a burden on regular staff, who had to provide additional support and training, leading to increased workloads and decreased employee satisfaction. 

The Solution

A potential solution the client explored was moving forward with a healthcare managed service provider (MSP), however, they had hesitations about this option due to several “dealbreakers” they had identified through their conversations. These included concerns around exclusivity components, among others, that would limit their ability to work with their preferred vendors.

Ultimately, the client partnered with Medix, an award-winning healthcare staffing agency with over 20 years of experience sourcing qualified, top-tier nursing talent for flexible contracts. 

The client chose Medix for these reasons:

• Flexible staffing solutions, such as Medix’s contract-to-hire staffing model
• Specialized recruitment for the behavioral health niche
• Collaborative partnership built on transparency
• Fast response to staffing needs and quick time to fill

The Results

15 Behavioral Health RNs Placed with 40% Converting to Full-time Employees

• Collaborative Partnership: Medix successfully placed 15 Registered Nurses specializing in behavioral health within the client’s facility. This addressed the client’s immediate need for qualified staff in this specialized area among the nurse staffing shortage. 
• Contract-to-Hire Staffing Model: Medix’s contract-to-hire model offered the client a strategic, long-term staffing solution. By focusing on placements with the potential for conversion to full-time, Medix helped the client reduce their reliance on temporary staffing agencies and the associated challenges. This approach allowed for greater continuity of care, reduced the administrative burden of constantly onboarding temporary staff, and fostered a more stable and integrated workforce within the client’s organization. Additionally, 6 of Medix’s behavioral health RNs were later converted to full-time employees, demonstrating the effectiveness of the contract-to-hire model in identifying and integrating long-term talent into the client’s team.
• High-Quality, Top-Tier Talent: Medix achieved a 73% successful completion rate of talent assignments. This high completion rate underscores the reliability and commitment of the talent provided by Medix, ensuring that the client’s staffing needs were consistently met throughout the duration of the assignments. 
• Continued Growth to New Roles: When the client’s needs expanded to include ICU nurses, Medix demonstrated its ability to adapt and deliver in a different specialty. Despite initial challenges, Medix ultimately provided the client’s managers with a strong pool of qualified candidates. This allowed the client to efficiently select the best individuals to fill their ICU nursing positions, demonstrating Medix’s capability to provide quality talent across various nursing specialties.

Eager to overcome your staffing challenges and build a high-performing healthcare team? Contact us now to explore our flexible staffing solutions.