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Summer Vacations and Radiation Oncology

Summer Vacations Create Short-Term Radiation Oncology Vacancies

Summer is in full swing, which means many full-time Radiation Oncology workers are booking travel plans and family vacations. The warm summer months are a popular time to get away, but it can present a real problem for healthcare facilities. Radiation Oncology departments must be fully staffed at all times so cancer patients can receive vital treatments. In other words, these are essential roles that cannot go unfilled.

Thankfully, Epic Specialty Staffing is well prepared to fill these kinds of vacancies. We talked with Ryan McCall, a Radiation Oncology Consultant with Epic Specialty Staffing, about how our robust network of locum candidates can help.

How Problematic Are Summer Vacations for Healthcare Facilities?

When Radiation Oncology workers are continuously booking time away, it can create real pain points for healthcare facilities—especially since these vacancies may be tricky to fill.

“The problem is that professional contractors prefer to complete lengthier contracts,” says McCall. “They don’t want to pack up all their stuff and fly halfway across the country just to stay somewhere for two weeks before flying somewhere else.” Instead, most are typically looking for contracts that last at least eight to thirteen weeks. Anything shorter than that can be a tall order but certainly not impossible. It just takes a clear understanding of the situation and the ability to access qualified contractors to fill in the gaps. Epic Specialty Staffing excels in both areas.

“It can be a little harder to fit people into those shorter-term contracts,” says McCall. “Some contractors stockpile their paid time off and then take a week off to cover somewhere else and sort of double-dip. So that’s one creative solution.”

How Can Epic Specialty Staffing’s Candidate Capability Help?

One major advantage Epic Specialty Staffing has is that we specialize in Radiation Oncology. McCall says our database of available contractors has been 20 years in the making and includes everything from therapy, dosimetry, physics, management positions, and everything in between.

“If anyone is going to find someone to cover that one- or two-week assignment, it’s going to be us,” he says. “We also do target vacation-coverage marketing. Beyond that, individual reps go out of their way to help fill those openings.” For instance, McCall communicates closely with Radiation Oncology departments to let them know that we’re available to find short-term coverage for summer vacations. He also keeps in touch with candidates who work permanent jobs to see if they want to use PTO days to cover a short-term contract. It’s all about maintaining these relationships, which is why Epic Specialty Staffing is often top of mind.

According to McCall, many healthcare facilities get ahead of the problem by having a contractor come in for a more extended period. So, as permanent employees go on vacation week after week, they have someone there to provide extra help where necessary.

What Makes Epic Specialty Staffing Uniquely Qualified to Fill Short-Term Contracts?

“The feedback I get from many contractors is that we just have a much more personal touch,” says McCall. Recruiting can be very impersonal, especially in the modern world, where everything is typically done over email. Epic Specialty Staffing does things very differently.

“I take pride in the fact that I’m taking time to build authentic relationships,” McCall adds. “A contractor isn’t just some commodity. This is a human being who has to travel, leave their family and pets, pack their belongings and be away from home for weeks on end. So it’s my job to make that process as easy as possible and alleviate any pain points I can. People seem to appreciate that.”

Fill the Role with Epic Specialty Staffing

Whether you need to fill short-term Radiation Oncology vacancies or you’re a contractor looking for short-term work, Epic Specialty Staffing is here to provide the solutions you need during the summer months and beyond. Contact us today to learn more.

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