Small town hospitals don't always have the resources that might attract specialists, like neurologists. However, that doesn't mean that those smaller medical facilities don't need to have specialists to treat their patients. People in small towns and surrounding areas still have things like strokes or suffer from dementia. There are ways that those facilities can get the medical professionals they need to treat the patients who might come in. One way to do that is to hire a locum tenens doctor.  

Locum Tenens

Locum tenens is Latin, and it translates as "to hold a place". What this means in practice is that a locum tenens, or only locum, is a doctor who is hired on a temporary basis. They can be there to fill in for someone who is going to be out for a short time, even just for a day or two, or they can be hired for a set period of time to come in and provide medical care for patients. There are several benefits to hiring a locum tenens medical professional. 

Clears Patient Waiting Lists

One benefit of hiring a locum tenens stroke doctor is that it will help create patient openings. That means that patients who are dealing with the residual effects of a stroke can come in and see a doctor who is local to them. Having an additional neurologist on staff will also mean that patients that have been waiting for an opening to see a neurologist will be able to get the treatment that they need in order to get better or maintain their health. 

Different Methods

Another benefit would be that a locum doctor can help by teaching different or newer methods of treatment. While there may be one accepted treatment for some kind of illness, a locum doctor may apply that treatment in a different way, which may be easier on the patients. The locum can then teach those methods to the permanent staff so that they are able to help more patients to get better. 

Locum tenens medical professionals, whether they are neurologists or nurses, have a lot of benefits for the medical facilities that hire them, as well as a lot of benefits for the patient population that will be able to take advantage of them. It can allow specialists to come into areas where they might not otherwise be seen. Contact a company for more information about locum tenens stroke doctors.