Locum tenens surgery: An opportunity to improve access to quality surgical care

摘要

The practice of using locum tenens physicians to cover an absence or a temporary clinical need spans multiple medical specialties—from dentistry, to primary care providers (PCPs), to surgeons. Locum tenens is a Latin phrase that means “to take the place of.” In modern parlance, the term refers to a health care provider working in a hospital, group practice, or clinic temporarily for a span of a few weeks to a couple of months. Today, locum tenens physicians are most commonly sought to cover for PCPs in rural practices, but surgical locum tenens coverage also is in great demand.