Carolina Interventional Pain Institute (CIPI) is a multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center that opened in 2018 in the heart of Columbia, SC. The facility provides outpatient procedures with the highest standards in comfort and care and works with nurses and allied professionals like certified surgical techs and OR/Circulating RNs to meet their patient needs.
We chatted with Jennifer Hodge, COO of Carolina Interventional Pain Institute, to learn more about this facility and its partnership with Medely. Jennifer has been a part of CIPI for the last 20 years, and during that time, she has experienced the ups and downs of the medical staffing market. Every day, she and her team work to ensure they have the staff they need so that surgeons continue to choose their facility to perform cataract surgery, plastic surgery, and interventional pain procedures.
As an ambulatory surgery center, CIPI encountered difficult times during the pandemic, especially when state governments chose to suspend elective surgeries across the country. Then, as surgery needs jumped up post-COVID, CIPI turned to other staffing solutions to help fill their shifts. When they kept experiencing low fill rates and consistent no-shows from professionals, that’s when they turned to Medely.
Check out our conversation with Jennifer to see how Medely helped this surgery center stay staffed when their surgery needs ramped up:
Filling the immediate need
When surgery needs escalated at CIPI, the facility utilized Medely’s on-demand platform and talent marketplace as their main source of contingent workers. Using Medely’s platform, Jennifer was able to provide the critical certified surgical techs and OR/Circulating RNs CIPI needed to meet patient demand.
Jennifer told us that Medely stood out among the other staffing agencies because of how easy it is to use, the quality of its professionals, and its reliability.
“For us, it was just a really good fit. Medely could fill an immediate need if we had surgeries to do that week. We could use Medely and not have to pay a nurse for five days a week,” said Jennifer.
Providing peace of mind with direct access to professionals
It’s been over 3 years since the height of the pandemic, and Medely is still CIPI’s preferred staffing solution and talent marketplace because we can connect them directly with professionals and fill shifts fast. “Yesterday, it took 20 minutes to get two certified surgical tech shifts covered,” said Jennifer.
Jennifer also loves that Medely’s technology fills requests automatically if a nurse or allied professional unexpectedly has to back out of their shift. Medely’s automated system works to find the next available professional to fill the need. “Medely has online features where I can see if someone cancels a shift, and you communicate that you’re trying to get this request filled,” she said. “Whereas other staffing agencies if they don’t know, they really can’t.”
Meeting patient demand
Now, Carolina Interventional Pain Institute has the patient demand and professional supply to meet its business goals. For the full-time employees of CIPI, Medely’s platform helps Jennifer provide cover for things like maternity leave, PTO, and increased demand.
“They appreciate the fact that we have a tool that will allow them to go and take time off and they don’t have to miss a beat or the organization doesn’t have to miss a beat,” she said.
This way, Jennifer can provide a better work environment for her staff and she can continue to provide a first-class experience for patients and physicians who choose CIPI for their procedures.
For CIPI, Medely helps them avoid losing out on revenue and losing credibility among local surgeons.
“I think the headache and not having to cancel a case is where you’re saving money because it is going to be problematic,” Jennifer said. “You can lose physicians coming to the facility.”
Trusting in Medely
Consistency is key to physician retention for CIPI, and Jennifer trusts Medely nurses and allied professionals to help her deliver. Jennifer shared that she appreciates how Medely’s team of real RNs vet and validate healthcare professionals on the platform, taking that off her plate. Medely verifies credentials through live interviews and skills assessments and monitors all credential changes, keeping every nurse and allied professional on Medely up-to-date.
Best of all, it’s easy and convenient for her to use, saves time and money, and delivers great professionals to her facility.
“It’s user-friendly. Medely has caliber staff,” said Jennifer. “I think Medely does a good job screening. I feel safe with people coming to our facility, with our patients and our physicians, and I would definitely recommend it. It’s like a push button – a very easy system to use.”
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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