Recommended Citation
Bellon D, Mleziva K. The evolution and sustainment of an internal agency to further reduce costs. Value Informed Nursing Practice poster presentation at Empowering Nursing Excellence: Recognizing the Value and Impact of Nurses, Advocate Health Midwest Region Nursing Research & Professional Development Conference 2023; November 15, 2023; virtual.
Presentation Notes
Value Informed Nursing Practice poster presentation at Empowering Nursing Excellence: Recognizing the Value and Impact of Nurses, Advocate Health Midwest Region Nursing Research & Professional Development Conference 2023; November 15, 2023; virtual.
Abstract
The Advocate Health (AH) Midwest (MW) Region Internal Agency was developed in the peak of the pandemic in response to the growing volumes of nurses leaving their positions for travel. Teammates leaving (interceptions) or who had left (boomerangs) their positions were offered the opportunity for a travel assignment within the MW Region. Internal agency rates were set at 60% of the current average bill rate for external agency, and in the first year, over $12 million were saved by utilizing internal agency nurses in lieu of external agency. This also resulted in decreased turnover and increased retention of high-performing nurses, maintaining high quality and safe patient care.
As the demand for travel nurses decreased and turnover stabilized, the pipeline of interceptions and boomerangs declined, but AH was still using high volumes of external agency. In partnership with recruitment, Internal Agency Leaders began reaching out to site leaders for referrals to consider converting external agency to internal agency, and since January of 2023, 22 teammates have been converted. With an average of $20,000 dollars in savings per agreement, 22 conversions have already resulted in an additional $440,000 in organizational cost savings.
As word of the programs’ success spread, other departments experiencing high external agency utilization and persistent vacancies began reaching out for support. In order to evaluate and prioritize needs outside of nursing, the external agency active headcount report was analyzed, and respiratory therapists were added to the Internal Agency Program. Additional roles currently being added include surgical techs, radiology techs, and medical lab techs. Reporting in the software utilized to secure external agency was also leveraged to prevent external agency staff from securing positions that were otherwise fillable with internals. Seven external agency requests were rejected as they were fulfilled with an internal candidate, saving an additional $145,000.
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
11-15-2023
The evolution and sustainment of an internal agency to further reduce costs
The Advocate Health (AH) Midwest (MW) Region Internal Agency was developed in the peak of the pandemic in response to the growing volumes of nurses leaving their positions for travel. Teammates leaving (interceptions) or who had left (boomerangs) their positions were offered the opportunity for a travel assignment within the MW Region. Internal agency rates were set at 60% of the current average bill rate for external agency, and in the first year, over $12 million were saved by utilizing internal agency nurses in lieu of external agency. This also resulted in decreased turnover and increased retention of high-performing nurses, maintaining high quality and safe patient care.
As the demand for travel nurses decreased and turnover stabilized, the pipeline of interceptions and boomerangs declined, but AH was still using high volumes of external agency. In partnership with recruitment, Internal Agency Leaders began reaching out to site leaders for referrals to consider converting external agency to internal agency, and since January of 2023, 22 teammates have been converted. With an average of $20,000 dollars in savings per agreement, 22 conversions have already resulted in an additional $440,000 in organizational cost savings.
As word of the programs’ success spread, other departments experiencing high external agency utilization and persistent vacancies began reaching out for support. In order to evaluate and prioritize needs outside of nursing, the external agency active headcount report was analyzed, and respiratory therapists were added to the Internal Agency Program. Additional roles currently being added include surgical techs, radiology techs, and medical lab techs. Reporting in the software utilized to secure external agency was also leveraged to prevent external agency staff from securing positions that were otherwise fillable with internals. Seven external agency requests were rejected as they were fulfilled with an internal candidate, saving an additional $145,000.
Affiliations
System Internal Agency