Founder of Locum Tenens Industry Joins VISTA Staffing Solutions
Salt Lake City, Utah—February 1, 2002— Therus C. Kolff, MD, MPH, the founder of the locum tenens industry, has joined VISTA Staffing Solutions as an executive board member. "Locum tenens" physicians work in temporary assignments all across the country, filling in while practices recruit, covering for physicians on military or personal leave, helping practices staff up for peak season. They ensure that patients have access to quality health care and health care organizations maintain their revenue and stay in business.Mark Brouse, VISTA president and CEO, says it makes sense to look to Kolff to help advance VISTA and the industry to a new level of innovation. "In 1979, Therus created a service that brought physicians into underserved communities and respite to solo providers. He gave newly trained physicians a chance to see many practice settings before settling down, and older physicians the option of a semi-retirement full of service and adventure."
It was a radical concept for many in the staid medical community according to Kolff. "Stepping off the fast-paced career track was not always easy for physicians in the early days," he says. "We are a driven lot." Physicians soon discovered the benefits of locum tenens-style practice, Kolff says. "We hear it daily…the East Coast physician who grudgingly agrees to a short assignment in Montana and falls in love with the place…the young physician who classifies his year of locum tenens as ’better than a fellowship year’ in terms of practical learning…the older physician who’s been asked to return to a practice in Kansas more than 20 times."
The concept has taken hold. "In 1979 people thought the idea was crazy and there were very few of us providing coverage. In 1987, only 4 percent of all physicians worked on a locum tenens basis at any time in their careers," Kolff says. "But by 2000, 15 percent of physicians reported practicing on a temporary basis at some point during their working lives. That’s fantastic!"
As the industry matures, the opportunity for innovation increases, according to CEO Brouse. "We want our customers’ staffing challenges to be our staffing challenges," he says. "And we want to serve as career-building partners with the physicians who work with us. Therus brings a unique perspective and passion to the board and the company that will help us accomplish both."
About Dr. Kolff
Shortly after completing medical school at the University of Utah in 1976, Dr. Kolff joined Health Systems Research Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization formed by the University of Utah, the Intermountain Regional Medical Program, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop innovative solutions to rural health care issues. He was part of a team that managed 22 clinics and five hospitals in nine western states. He was also the team leader for Yellowstone National Park Medical Services.The need for traveling physicians who could fill in for geographically isolated practitioners and cover vacant positions was obvious and urgent, leading Dr. Kolff to establish the first locum tenens company in the United States in 1979 after he completed a Master’s degree in health policy and management at Harvard. Dr. Kolff was central to establishing credentialing standards and protocols, supporting infrastructure, and an appreciation for the ultimate quality of patient care within the industry. At VISTA he is focused on fostering a peer-review, best-practices-driven culture and increasing the clinical knowledge of every employee owner. True to his passion for locum tenens, he is licensed to practice medicine in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania.
About VISTA Staffing Solutions
VISTA Staffing Solutions (www.vistastaff.com) is a leading provider of temporary physician staffing and permanent physician search services. Founded in 1990, the employee-owned company helps hospitals, medical practices and government agencies solve their physician staffing challenges. VISTA is the only agency that offers short- and long-term domestic jobs, international work opportunities, and permanent placement for physicians. The company is a founding member of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO).
Company Contact
Carolyn RoseVISTA Staffing Solutions
800-366-1884
carolyn.rose@vistastaff.com
