Highlights
- Contingent labor is a strategic workforce lever—not a “necessary evil.” The piece reframes travel clinicians as skilled professionals motivated by growth and contribution, and argues they can strengthen quality and continuity when integrated thoughtfully.
- Flexibility has become a core capability for hospitals. By combining contingent labor with permanent hiring, float pools, and per diem teams—and using tools like AI-enabled predictive scheduling—leaders can staff closer to real-time demand without burning out permanent staff.
- The biggest differentiator is strategy and partnership. Effective programs treat travel assignments as part of long-term workforce planning (including conversion to permanent roles), and rely on transparent partners who bring data, guardrails, and realistic expectations—not “too good to be true” promises.
Table of Contents
Featuring insight from Mindy Milligan, CCWP, Regional Vice President of Program Management at Qualivis, on the South Carolina Hospital Association’s podcast Tell Me Why.
Healthcare leaders are navigating a workforce landscape defined by rapid change, evolving care challenges and a new definition of what flexibility really means. In this environment, contingent labor is often discussed with mixed emotions: valuable in moments of need, yet still labeled by some as a “necessary evil.” The truth is simple: contingent labor plays a strategic, not secondary, role in the modern healthcare workforce.
As Mindy Milligan shared on Tell Me Why, that mindset is common, yet incomplete. Many still associate travel clinicians and contingent labor with higher costs, lower quality or a lack of commitment. But in her words, “A lot of travelers get into this industry because they want to expand their skill set.” Their motivation is often growth, contribution and the chance to bring broader experience back to the bedside.
Skilled Talent for Critical Moments of Care
Travel clinicians bring experience shaped across multiple settings — a breadth that allows them to step into new environments with agility and confidence. Many choose contingent work to broaden their skills, learn from diverse teams and support communities where the need is greatest.
These professionals aren’t temporary in their commitment to care. They’re part of a larger ecosystem of people who keep hospitals operating smoothly during fluctuations in census, vacancies or seasonal demand.
The challenge has never been the clinicians themselves. It’s that healthcare organizations face a complex task: developing the right strategy, insights and partnerships to integrate this resource effectively. As Mindy notes, “[Travelers] were always intended to be a flexible option to help you when you need them and not to be there when you don’t.” With thoughtful alignment and the right guardrails, contingent labor can serve as a valuable a pressure release rather than a pressure point.
Flexibility as a Core Workforce Capability
What used to be predictable is now constantly changing. Patient volumes shift quickly. Staff expectations are evolving. A more dynamic workforce model is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s essential. Contingent labor offers hospitals the flexibility to manage these realities without overextending permanent teams. When paired with permanent recruitment, internal float pools and per diem resources, contingent staff help create a balanced model that adapts to real demand.
Technology accelerates this shift. Mindy describes AI-enabled tools as a way to match staffing more closely to real-time needs: “The idea behind [AI predictive scheduling] is that it’s going to make it easier for healthcare systems to staff to the true curve of their needs.” Instead of staffing in broad 12-hour blocks, leaders can adjust start times, coverage and roles to better match the ebbs and flows of patient care.
Through platforms like LotusOne — Qualivis’ integrated platform — leaders gain visibility across all labor types, enabling better forecasting, more precise scheduling and stronger alignment between staffing and patient needs. Flexibility isn’t optional anymore. It’s a capability. And contingent labor is one of the tools that makes it possible.
A Strategic Partner, Not a Last Resort
Historically, contingent labor was often approached as a last-minute, transactional solution. That’s changing. Hospitals are integrating contingent resources into broader strategies around:
- Long-term workforce planning
- Recruitment pipelines and conversion pathways
- Systemwide float models
- Cost optimization and premium labor management
- Quality and continuity of care
Travel clinicians frequently become strong candidates for permanent roles — and hospitals that build welcoming cultures, communicate clearly and engage travelers early see real benefits. A 13-week assignment becomes an extended interview, and many clinicians choose to stay.
Selecting the right partner is critical. In a crowded market with bold claims, Mindy offers simple, grounded advice: “If something sounds too good to be true, trust that it probably is and ask lots of questions.” The right partner won’t promise a “magic beanstalk” of clinicians. They’ll bring transparency, data and the willingness to co-design a strategy that fits your organization’s realities.
A Reframed Perspective for the Future
Contingent labor is not a stopgap or an emergency button. It’s a flexible, scalable resource that helps hospitals maintain continuity, protect their teams and support their communities. When organizations embrace a more holistic approach, they stop viewing contingent labor as something to minimize and start seeing it as part of a sustainable, forward-looking workforce strategy.
Today, it’s no longer a necessary evil. It’s a necessary advantage and a critical component of building the resilient workforce healthcare needs.