Across the country, health systems are rethinking how they manage workforce demand. The past few years have underscored the value of travel professionals for specialized and surge coverage — but they’ve also revealed a new opportunity: building local flexibility.
The next evolution in workforce strategy isn’t about replacing travelers. It’s about using them strategically while expanding local capacity through clinicians who live and work in the community.
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Local talent, activated
A growing number of health systems are building internal float teams and local per diem pools. The model is simple: leverage nurses, allied professionals and other clinicians who want flexible work schedules without leaving their communities.
These local teams strengthen engagement and retention because they’re connected to the hospitals they serve. When powered by modern workforce technology, local talent pools become an agile extension of a hospital’s staffing plan for covering open shifts, last-minute needs and moderate census changes with minimal disruption.
Technology that connects and simplifies
Mobile apps and integrated workforce platforms help hospitals connect directly with pre-qualified, credentialed clinicians in their communities. Shifts can be posted, accepted and confirmed in real time, giving workforce leaders visibility and control without manual coordination. With Qualivis’ Shifts™ technology, you can instantly connect with fully vetted, licensed clinicians in your community to fill shifts fast and save on contract labor. It’s easy to activate your local per diem workers and automatically find the best matched resource by availability, competency and skillset.
A balanced workforce ecosystem
The goal isn’t to replace travelers — it’s to optimize them. Travel professionals remain an essential component of system-level workforce planning, especially during high-acuity events or unexpected staffing disruptions. But local talent pools give hospitals the flexibility to reserve those resources for when they’re truly needed.
By pairing local agility with strategic traveler deployment, health systems can reduce spend, enhance continuity and create a workforce model that supports both clinicians and patients.
Real-world results: West Tennessee Healthcare
When West Tennessee Healthcare, a seven-facility system, needed a better way to manage changing workforce demands, they partnered with Qualivis to find a lasting solution rather than just another quick fix.
What began as a focus on managing travel staff grew into a broader effort to build local strength and flexibility. With support from Qualivis, West Tennessee Healthcare streamlined vendor coordination, simplified credentialing and introduced real-time shift posting through the Shifts app, making it easier for local clinicians to pick up work when and where they’re needed most.
“Per diem and gig economy employees get an app that they can put on their telephone, and when we have a shift that we need filled, that position goes out to their phone through the app,” said Damon Mays, VP of Operations. “That’s huge for us.”
By connecting technology, community and thoughtful planning, Qualivis helped West Tennessee Healthcare achieve a more balanced workforce that uses travel professionals strategically while strengthening ties with local caregivers.
Qualivis: Built around your vision
At Qualivis, we help hospitals and health systems activate this same balance by connecting staffing, technology and data-driven consulting into a single workforce ecosystem. Our LotusOne platform simplifies the way health systems build and manage local talent pools, while our state hospital association partnerships bring trust, scale and shared mission to every relationship.
The result: faster coverage, lower costs and stronger alignment between workforce strategy and patient care. Because the future of healthcare staffing isn’t just about filling shifts — it’s about building a sustainable, community-based workforce that grows with your needs.