Helping Locum Tenens Healthcare Providers Reach Their Assignments
For many of us, a delayed or cancelled flight can be devastating to our plans. For locum tenens healthcare providers, it occasionally comes with the job. The good news is that providers don’t have to go it alone!
ICON Medical Network has an in-house travel team that makes the travel process as smooth as possible. When flights or reservations don’t go as planned, our team steps in to find the best solutions to get providers settled into their new locum tenens roles quickly.
Recently, our travel team was put to the test to help a locum provider in need.
Travel Disruptions
As our healthcare provider, Dr. C., prepared to travel to their next locum assignment with ICON Medical Network, their connecting flight was cancelled. Determined to make it to their assignment on time, Dr. C. immediately contacted our travel department, who started working toward a solution. With a new flight booked promptly, Dr. C hopped in their rental car to complete their journey. However, the rental car broke down on the highway! Without missing a beat, our team contacted local towing services and stayed in touch with our provider.
In the end, additional adjustments had to be made to travel reservations for the next day. Dr. C. was able to make their new flight and start their locum assignment on time. In fact, Dr. C. went straight from traveling to the assignment!
After the ordeal, the provider expressed their appreciation for our travel team.
Meet ICON's Travel Team:
Averaging over 10 years of experience in the travel industry, our travel coordinators, Chris Ravnholt and Ariel Hudak are no strangers to plans going awry. For our providers, they go above and beyond consistently, providing top-notch customer service. They regularly exhaust all possible options to ensure the best outcome.
When travel disruptions occur, the team can manage a full desk of providers—new and existing. For the convenience of our locum providers, ICON Medical Network has partnered with Christopherson Travel to offer comprehensive after-hours support.
As Chris Ravnholt so aptly put it, “There’s never a dull moment in travel.”
Chris Ravnholt
Starting as an independent agent, Chris has been working in the travel industry for 14 years. They have been a travel coordinator with ICON since 2021. Chris enjoys the relationship-building aspect of their role.
Ariel Hudak
In 2022, Ariel joined the ICON Travel Team with 10 years of experience in the travel industry. As a travel coordinator, she enjoys her work because, “no day is the same; there is a lot of creative problem-solving that we get to do.“
What To Expect When You Work With ICON
After a provider has booked a locum assignment with ICON, our travel team reaches out no later than 2 weeks to book reservations. They will send the provider a welcome letter that includes several pieces of important information: a full itinerary, reservation numbers, the travel department’s contact information and hours, Christopherson Travel’s contact information, and more. In addition to this welcome letter, the team regularly updates the provider if reservations change and remains on stand-by to answer any questions.
Since travel plans are ever-changing, it is important to keep contact information handy. The travel department has provided several tips on how to make travelling less stressful.
The Travel Department’s 4 Keys to Success:
- Come in with clear expectations. It is important not only to yourself but to the ICON team that you understand what your travel plans may entail.
- Set realistic expectations for lodging. Depending on the location of the assignment, a more remote area may have limited options for hotels and flights.
- Communication is key. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Our travel team is always a phone call or email away. In addition to our in-house team, we have partnered with Christopherson Travel to ensure our providers have after-hours support.
- Keep calm if travel disruptions occur. Our team is well adept at handling problems swiftly and will communicate new information to you accordingly.
New to Locum Tenens? Start Here!
ICON Medical Network has been a part of locum healthcare staffing for over 10 years. We provide access to opportunities, advice, and a single point of contact. We cover all travel, lodging, and medical malpractice insurance and take care of credentialing and licensing. All you need to worry about is providing exceptional care to your patients.
To get started with ICON, browse our available opportunities, apply now, and a team member will get in touch with you shortly to answer questions and help you take the next step in your career!
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