Locum tenens physicians: Extending careers amid workforce shortages

Lisa Grabl, group president of CHG Healthcare, says the physician shortage is prompting more grassroots efforts to keep doctors in the workforce longer — and locum tenens is part of the solution.

“I think we’ll definitely continue to see things like that — physicians interested in and being asked to extend their career, but with a modified schedule,” she says. Although formal policy changes may be limited for now, Grabl notes that locum work offers a flexible option for late-career physicians to stay active without full-time commitments.