Inefficiencies of the Current Call System

by Brendan Fisher

A Broken System

It is no secret that the call system for healthcare professionals is broken. Extra hospital shifts need to be filled and physicians are looking to pick up shifts to make extra money, yet it is often difficult for them to get these moonlighting opportunities. Without an easy and efficient system for doctors to find extra shifts and for hospitals to find qualified, available doctors to fill these shifts, hospitals remain understaffed and medical professionals looking to work more are unable to do so.

Why do doctors want to moonlight?

Moonlighting can be a great way for doctors to get experience, as well as make extra money. Picking up some extra shifts at the hospital can be a very helpful option, especially for residents trying their best to support themselves while simultaneously pay their way through medical school. You would think that because moonlighting is a widely used and sought-after in the medical community, it would not be so complicated. Tragically, this is not the case.

Why is moonlighting so difficult?

The Hunt for Opportunity: Opportunities for doctors to moonlight are not always easy to come by. Often times in order to get an open shift at a hospital, it seems that you have to know someone on the inside or have some kind of connection to someone who can get you in. Some hospitals have internal moonlighting opportunities, and getting in at outside hospitals can be a very frustrating task.

Credentialing: This can be a real pain. Before physicians can begin work moonlighting at a hospital, they must go through a credentialing process. This is the same process that they go through before working at their own respective hospitals and takes anywhere from three to six months. Having to wait that long to pick up shifts anywhere other than your primary hospital can be a big reason that some doctors feel less enthusiastic about moonlighting. This process can also vary from state to state - even hospital to hospital - which makes things even more complicated.

Malpractice Insurance: For some physicians, acquiring malpractice insurance is quite a hassle. Similar to the credentialing process, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for malpractice insurance. If you are a doctor who wants to moonlight, there is no guarantee that the hospital will cover you if anything happens. If you have your own malpractice insurance, the hospital might not accept yours and require that you have insurance from an approved provider.

So, what’s the good news???

Finding moonlighting opportunities can be really painful, but here at OnCallogy, we are changing that! We are developing an app that is targeting some of these obstacles that prevent available doctors from being able to pick up open hospital shifts.

Here are some of the ways OnCallogy will make moonlighting easier and more efficient:

• Physicians can use their existing Doximity accounts to sign up for OnCallogy which makes it quick and easy to upload your information.
• Doctors can upload credentialing info to the app where it will be stored on the cloud. All of the credentialing information will be in one place, so it can be used for multiple hospitals.
• We are working with hospitals to streamline the credentialing and malpractice process.
• The app will provide a platform for hospitals to post their extra shifts so doctors in the area can find them in one location and choose the shifts that work best for them.

With moonlighting providing so many benefits for physicians and hospitals alike, it doesn’t make sense for it to be so difficult. That’s what we are fixing here at OnCallogy. We feel the pain and we are here to help. No more struggling to connect with hospitals and find extra shifts. No more futile internet searches for opportunities in your area. Just sign up, go through a few quick steps, and browse local opportunities comfortably from your phone.

It’s moonlighting simplified.