New Locum Life article on Indian Health Service work
I’M HAPPY TO REPORT I’ve had another article published in Locum Life magazine, this one in the May 2010 issue. The piece, “On the Reservation: Providing Locum Tenens to Native Americans,†is available in print and via Locum Life’s Nxtbook site. This one is an introduction to the range of opportunities available to locum tenens physicians at Indian Health Service facilities. From the lede:
If you’re seeking a locum tenens opportunity that combines humanitarian aid, public health medicine, and breathtaking terrain, the Indian Health Service (IHS) offers it all. Through the IHS, the U.S. government provides medical care to 47 percent of the nation’s 3.3 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. With a history of neglect, persistent poverty, and inadequate preventive education, reservation residents also endure high rates of alcoholism, depression, diabetes, and obesity. And staffing shortfalls worsen these problems by limiting access to skilled medical professionals.
Locum tenens physicians have never been more crucial to filling these openings. Positions are plentiful, streamlined government licensing requirements can get you started quickly, and your new colleagues will teach you how Indian traditions will influence your medical practice. Learn how an IHS contract can reconnect you with the spiritual aspect of patient care.
I’m especially pleased with the look of this piece. A number of the doctors I spoke with had taken IHS assignments in the American Southwest, and the opening spread of the article depicts a lush, wildflower-filled valley set against the rust-red sandstones of the region. Even more impressively, the sidebar on working at the remote Supai Clinic—set at the bottom of a tributary of the Grand Canyon—is accompanied by an overhead shot of the Havasupai Village that the clinic serves.
I’ve just submitted a new Healthcare Traveler article, this one with 10 points of advice on what not to do as a travel nurse, from researching assignments to dealing with negative coworkers and staying safe while alone. Plus I’ve got a new Locum Life article in the works. They should hit the street and the Web in July and August, respectively; keep an eye on this space for descriptions and links. And do contact me if you’re looking for a writer in the healthcare, recruiting, or medical staffing industries!
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