Hospitalists keep inpatient units running smoothly, but rising shortages and burnout are straining healthcare facilities and providers. Locum tenens hospitalist opportunities offer a chance for providers to control their own schedule.
They also come with a competitive hospitalist salary that may exceed that of a full-time provider. These flexible assignments let you decide when and where to work, without being tied down by full-time contracts.
You may be eyeing a seven-on-seven-off hospitalist locum lifestyle near home. Or perhaps you’re ready for a multi-month assignment in ski country. Whatever your path, the locum hospitalist lifestyle can be a welcome alternative to full-time positions.
Hospital medicine emerged in the late 1990s, when hospitals shifted to around-the-clock, on-site physicians to streamline inpatient care and give local family practice physicians a break. By focusing exclusively on admitted patients, hospitalists shortened lengths of stay and boosted quality metrics, changes that helped the specialty grow into a cornerstone of acute care.
Approximately 50,000 hospitalists practice in the United States today, and the workforce has expanded by about 5% annually from 2018 to 2024. Burnout and retirements, however, are widening gaps, especially in rural and critical-access facilities.
The federal Health Resources and Services Administration warns of a projected physician shortfall of 187,000 by 2037, with hospitalists high on the “at-risk” list. Tighter supply often translates into higher pay, making today’s average locum tenens hospitalist salary more attractive.
The clinical list might stay the same, but your ZIP code doesn’t have to. Locum tenens opens doors to high-paying hospitalist opportunities in underserved areas, especially rural regions where staffing gaps persist. Here’s what makes hospitalist locums opportunities so compelling:
