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How to Build & Retain a Thriving Clinical Workforce

By Brook Horne, VP of People Operations

Posted on September 10, 2025

Hospitals and health systems continue to face significant clinical staff shortages, intensifying an already challenging business climate. As a result, successful recruitment, development, and retention of clinical staff requires more than filling roles—it demands an intentional culture that keeps people connected, supported, and engaged.

 AP Health is no stranger to the challenges of clinical recruitment. We recruit highly skilled Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) to support the surgical needs of our health system partners. APPs are in high demand and have many career paths to choose from—urgent care, clinics, private practice, or emergency medicine to name a few. Identifying those who are both highly skilled and committed to focusing on surgery requires a targeted search within an already limited talent pool. To attract and retain top surgical talent, AP Health leads with a people-first strategy—one that we hope candidates feel from their very first interaction with us and continue to feel throughout their journey. This isn’t just an HR initiative; it’s a company-wide commitment, woven into our culture and intentionally reinforced at every step.

What Culture-Driven Recruitment Looks Like

Finding the “right fit” is at the heart of our hiring process. As an ever-growing business, we are committed to putting quality first when sourcing and interviewing candidates.  When we hire APPs, our clinical leaders work as true partners in the process – from educating our hiring team on what is the best “fit” for their team and playing an active role in the interview process. This isn’t simply about assessing skills; it’s a deliberate way of showing candidates from day one that they are our priority.

Candidates get to see firsthand that our leaders, (even our CEO) are practicing clinicians. That assurance matters: they know they’ll be supported by a management team that truly understands the work because we do it ourselves. This intentional, cohesive approach shows candidates that culture at AP Health isn’t abstract—it’s lived out in every interaction, starting from the very first one.

Streamlined Onboarding Process

Our APPs need to be credentialed at our customers’ hospitals and facilities-a process that can take anywhere from 60 to 120 days. Keeping candidates engaged during this waiting period is critical to retention before their employment even begins.

To support them, our team manages the entire credentialing process and provides regular status updates, sparing providers of the administrative burden that typically weighs down new hires. We’ve built a comprehensive touchpoint system that brings together our recruiting, credentialing, HR, and operations teams to ensure consistent communication and alignment.

In addition, our weekly onboarding meetings guarantee that every hired candidate receives personalized attention throughout their journey. These consistent touchpoints reflect our belief that our role doesn’t end when you’re hired – it’s just begun. People Operations is the keeper of culture, sustaining cohesion and connection from day one.

Collaboration Fuels Retention

Our people-first approach is built around creating a genuine community where clinical and corporate teams operate together rather than separate entities. Our lean corporate structure provides a true partnership, serving as a resource for our clinical staff where we constantly learn from each other. In addition, many mid-level and senior managers are practicing clinicians themselves, closing the gap that often exists between leadership and day-to-day clinical realities.

We foster collaboration and connection through regular team outings, monthly employee communications, social media engagement, and company-sponsored events. While not everyone participates in every opportunity, offering a variety of ways to connect reinforces a culture of inclusion and support.

When employee concerns arise, clinical team leaders are directly involved in the conversation. This ensures staff feel heard and supported by leaders who understand their daily challenges. It demonstrates that clinical and corporate leadership serve together— working to make people feel valued as individuals, not just employees.

The results speak for themselves. AP Health has been certified as a Great Place to Work for five consecutive years. In our most recent survey, 85% of employees said AP Health is a great place to work. In 2024 alone, we hired 40 new team members and saw only 10 departures—most due to retirement or relocation rather than dissatisfaction. That equates to a 7% turnover rate in an industry where rates of 30% or higher are the norm. Our provider-focused, intentionally cohesive team drives both employee satisfaction and long-term retention.

Work-Life Integration Supports the Whole Person

Many of the APPs who join AP Health come from private practice settings, where long 60-hour weeks were common—and often uncompensated. We take a different approach. By offering hourly pay, we ensure our team is fairly compensated for every hour worked, including overtime. This model provides not only financial stability but also the freedom and flexibility to create a healthier balance between work and life.

We believe in life-work balance, not just work-life balance. Work is a meaningful part of life, and our team members put in great effort every day. But it shouldn’t come at the expense of well-being. When people enjoy where they work and who they work with, they can achieve more—together.

We’ve built a culture of trust and support, where team members feel comfortable sharing personal challenges such as family illnesses, emergencies, or major life events. Colleagues step in for one another during these times, knowing that the same support will be there when they need it. That trust is sustained by an intentional people-first framework that prioritizes people’s well-being as the foundation of a cohesive team.

People-First Strategy Produces Results

Our provider-first approach doesn’t just shape culture—it delivers measurable business results. By fostering an environment where clinicians feel valued and supported, we attract and retain top talent. In fact, many of our new hires come through referrals from current employees—proof that our team is proud to recommend AP Health as a place to build a career.

This collaborative culture fuels our growth. Surgeons value the continuity and quality of our APPs so much that when they move to new facilities, they often request to bring our team members with them. Hospitals, in turn, recognize the impact: greater surgeon satisfaction, improved efficiency, and more productive ORs. Ultimately, clinical staffing isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about creating workplaces where skilled professionals choose to build their careers. In an industry where providers have more choices than ever, organizations that intentionally put their people first—through a collaborative work environment that prioritizes culture—will be the ones to secure and sustain top clinical talent.

Katie Steinhaus, PA-C: From Surgical Assistant to Cardiac Team Leader

Posted on August 20, 2025

Long before stepping into an operating room, Katie Steinhaus felt a deep calling to care for others. Inspired in part by her grandfather and aunt, her passion in medicine grew not only from a curiosity about science, but also from a deep sense of service and desire to support those in need. “I always knew I wanted to work in medicine,” Katie shared. “While I wasn’t exactly sure what that would look like, I knew I wanted to be someone others could count on during their most vulnerable moments.”

Katie earned her degree in biology and began exploring the medical field as a technician at a children’s hospital. The experience broadened her perspective on healthcare and deepened her commitment to a career in medicine. While shadowing her aunt in the operating room, Katie was intrigued by the environment- the focus, precision, and collaboration- and quickly recognized it as a special place. It was there she discovered what she truly wanted to pursue- a moment that sparked the next step in her journey.

She returned to school and earned her master’s degree in surgical assisting from Eastern Virginia Medical School. During her clinical rotations, she built a solid foundation across a variety of specialties, but it was her time in cardiac surgery that left the most lasting impression. “I remember getting an email asking if I was interested in a cardiac surgery rotation, and I thought, ‘Why not?’” she recalls. “Little did I know how much that experience—and the people I met—would shape my future.” That rotation ultimately led to her first job after surgical assisting school. The seasoned cardiac team embraced her warmly, providing mentorship and support as if she were part of their own family. It didn’t take long for me to realize that cardiac surgery was exactly where I wanted to be.

Returning to School, Again

After nearly two years as a Surgical Assistant, Katie made the deliberate decision to return to school and pursue her Physician Assistant (PA) degree.  Stepping away from the operating room she loved was challenging, but she remained focused on her long-term goals.

“I wanted to keep learning because I knew gaining more knowledge would help me provide better care,” she says. “I also wanted a career without limits. Surgical assistants, especially in cardiac surgery, face certain restrictions depending on the state. I wanted the opportunity to grow, challenge myself, and practice to my full potential, no matter where I was.”

Finding a Fit That Feels Right

When Katie joined AP Health in May 2024, she wasn’t just looking for a job—she was looking for the right environment to grow. “At AP Health, the opportunities to grow are endless. There are so many ways to challenge myself and continue advancing as a practitioner,” Katie says. “What excites me the most is the hands-on nature of the work. In the operating room, time seems to disappear and the only thing on my mind is the task at hand. I am always reminded of the privilege it is to be trusted by patients at a time when they are most vulnerable.”

That sense of trust and support extends to her team as well. “I love that I feel seen and valued here,” Katie continues. “I have worked in a hospital system before, and what stands out at AP Health is how people know me and see me as a person. If I have a question, I know exactly who I can reach out to. Those personal relationships mean so much to me.”

“Plus, the role fits well with my lifestyle, allowing me to maintain balance while pursuing a fulfilling and demanding career.” Outside of work, Katie finds joy in being outdoors, staying active, and chasing after her lively nieces. She has a deep love for cooking and cherished moments spent around a table with family and friends. It’s those simple, meaningful connections, both in and out of the OR, that matter most.

Promoted to Leadership Role

At the beginning of 2025, Katie was promoted to Cardiac Team Lead at Centennial Medical Center. In this role, she not only spends five days a week in the operating room but also manages AP Health’s largest cardiac program and its growing team of employees. At Centennial, AP Health supports five cardiac surgeons, performing a wide range of complex cases including bypasses, valve replacements, dissections, and LVADs.

“One of my favorite parts of the job is the team and the culture,” Katie says. “Whatever needs to be done, we’re all in it for the patients. It’s not just about the work—it’s how we show up for one another, and that creates a healthy team environment.”

Stepping into leadership has also given Katie a broader perspective. “Being in a leadership position is a big responsibility,” she reflects. “I need to advocate not only for my fellow employees, but for the patients, surgeons, and hospital we serve. For me it all comes down to quality-focusing on doing the right thing and being the best I can be every day.”

Katie’s journey reflects her passion for medicine, her drive to keep learning, and her commitment to leading with integrity. At AP Health, she continues to embody The AP Way — fostering teamwork, supporting colleagues, and delivering patient-centered care every day.

Marketing in 2025 Is Human First: Why Connection Beats Perfection

By Hannah Branson, Director of Marketing

Posted on July 25, 2025

In a world flooded with AI-generated content and highly polished messaging, the brands that stand out today are the ones that feel real. In 2025, connection is currency—and marketing is no longer just about selling. It’s about relating.

At AP Health, we’ve leaned fully into this shift. As someone who oversees the company’s marketing initiatives, I’ve seen firsthand how the most powerful brand moments come from amplifying the voices within our organization—not scripting around them.  Our employees embody the culture of quality service and team collaboration, a set of core values that we call “The AP Way”.  So, it feels right to share their stories and here’s some insight on how we do it.

1. Polished is Out. Personality is In.

People scroll past staged content. What makes them stop is realness. Whether it’s an employee speaking candidly or a team celebrating a win in scrubs, imperfect moments tell a more powerful story.

That’s why we launched the Our People Say series on social media—featuring direct quotes from employees about what it feels like to work at AP Health. They’re unscripted, unfiltered, and consistently among our most engaging posts. Because when people speak from the heart, others listen.

2. Your People Are your Brand

Employee advocacy isn’t a trend, it’s a trust-builder. And it’s more effective than any ad campaign.

We’ve seen this firsthand with posts spotlighting things like our employee stock ownership. When we shared that our team has a stake in the company’s success, the response was instant. Comments and shares came from real team members excited to talk about the part they play in something bigger. You can’t manufacture that kind of loyalty—it comes from culture.

3. Marketing and Culture Are No Longer Separate Conversations

Culture is marketing. The more aligned your internal and external brand are, the stronger your message becomes.

That alignment is why we treat culture milestones as brand moments. This year, when we earned our fifth consecutive Great Place to Work® Certification, it wasn’t just an internal win—it was something we shared proudly with our community. Especially when 85% of our employees said AP Health is a great place to work (compared to 57% nationally). Those numbers didn’t come from a PR firm—they came directly from our team.

4. Trust Is the New Reach

You can’t buy trust—you have to build it. That’s why we measure our marketing success less by reach and more by resonance.

It’s also why we focus on transparency in everything we share. Whether we’re posting about clinical excellence, new partnerships, or our people behind the scenes, we keep the tone real and grounded. And over time, that honesty builds relationships stronger than any polished press release ever could.

5. LinkedIn Is the New Town Hall

More than ever, LinkedIn has become the place where brand voice meets human voice.

At AP Health, some of our highest-performing posts are the most personal—team member shout-outs, event recaps, or culture spotlights. Whether it’s our TopGolf team outing or a community fundraising event, people want to see who we are, not just what we do. And that builds trust, brand awareness, and talent interest—all at once.

Marketing in 2025 isn’t about being louder—it’s about being truer. When you lead with your people, your purpose, and your real voice, your brand doesn’t just gain attention. It earns trust.

At AP Health, we’re not chasing clicks—we’re building connection. And that’s what makes all the difference.

Surgical Staff Outsourcing: An Alternative to Workforce Reductions 

By Toby Gray, CEO 

Posted on June 9, 2025

Hospitals continue to grapple with relentless financial pressures in 2025. While operating margins have stabilized, labor, supply and drug costs continue to soar. Many hospitals resort to workforce reductions to stay afloat, but this approach often backfires, leading to reduced capacity in revenue-generating departments, declining quality metrics, and eroded staff morale.   

There’s a smarter alternative: outsourcing surgical staffing. By addressing inefficiencies in one of a hospital’s highest-revenue departments, this strategy delivers significant cost savings while preserving—or even enhancing—productivity and quality.   

Surgical Services: An Overlooked Opportunity 

Surgical services typically generate over 60% of a hospital’s revenue, yet many hospitals maintain inefficient staffing models in these departments. Common issues include: 

  • Underutilization of staff: Employed surgical staff often generate revenue for only 20–40% of their paid time.  
  • Administrative burdens: OR directors and HR departments are bogged down by scheduling and compliance tasks.  
  • Inconsistent credentialing: Compliance gaps jeopardize quality and regulatory standards.  
  • Productivity constraints: Inflexible staffing mixes struggle to adapt to fluctuating surgical volumes. 

 By tackling these inefficiencies, hospitals can unlock substantial cost savings without compromising surgical capacity or patient outcomes. This isn’t just a concept—it’s a proven solution, as demonstrated by AP Health’s partnership with Memorial Health System, one of the nation’s largest public health systems. 

AP Health Saved Memorial $13 Million Since 2016 

In 2016, Memorial Health System (MHS) faced critical staffing challenges at Memorial Hospital West, including a severe shortage of surgical assistants, credentialing compliance issues, and overwhelming administrative demands on HR and OR leadership.  

Partnering with AP Health for surgical staffing services sparked a transformation that expanded system-wide: 

2016: Launched partnership at Memorial Hospital West 
2017: Expanded to Memorial Regional Hospital 
2018: Added Memorial Regional Hospital South and Memorial Hospital Pembroke 
2019: Completed system-wide implementation at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 

From an initial team of 15 providers serving a single hospital, AP Health now has more than 50 credentialled providers staffing MHS surgeries across multiple facilities. This growth wasn’t driven by a corporate mandate, but by measurable results at each facility. The outcomes speak for themselves: 

  • 35% cost savings across all five Memorial facilities 
  • Over $13 million in total savings since 2016 
  •  Increased surgical capacity, with no reductions in service 
  • Enhanced productivity in the surgical department 

Why Outsource Surgical Staffing? 

For hospital leaders seeking alternatives to workforce reductions, outsourcing surgical staffing offers several advantages: 

Financial Flexibility: AP Health’s model converts fixed costs of Advanced Practice Provider (APP) employees into variable costs that scale with surgical volumes. This aligns clinical costs directly with revenue. 

High-Quality, Consistent Staff: Finding qualified surgical staff is difficult. Our exclusive focus on surgical staffing enables higher quality and consistency. We track surgeon preferences and provide them with preferred APPs in 95% of surgeries.  

Optimized Productivity: Many in-house surgical staff spend more than half their paid time idle between cases. Our ability to flex with case volume and schedule to minimize downtime dramatically increases productivity. 

Reduced Administrative Burden: Outsourcing streamlines credentialing, compliance, and scheduling, freeing OR and HR teams to focus on core priorities. 

Specialized Manpower for Robotic Surgery: As robotic-assisted procedures grow in complexity and prevalence, AP Health can supply cohesive, highly trained robotic surgical teams tailored to each facility’s specific platforms and specialties. 

Customized On-Call Teams: From neurosurgery to complex trauma, AP Health develops and deploys dedicated call teams with deep experience in high-acuity, specialized service lines—ensuring dependable coverage around the clock. 

The Bottom Line 

With financial pressures showing no signs of easing, hospitals need innovative strategies to thrive. Outsourcing surgical staffing delivers significant savings in a critical revenue center without sacrificing quality, capacity, or staff morale. By partnering with a proven provider like AP Health, hospitals can achieve fiscal stability while positioning their surgical services for long-term success. 

Keith Purino, PA-C: Finding Balance and Growth at AP Health

Posted on April 17, 2025

Keith Purino, PA-C, didn’t take the traditional path to a career in healthcare. With a background in economics and political science, he initially planned to attend law school. But during his senior year of college, everything changed after meeting some athletic trainers through his involvement in sports.

“I liked that they were working with athletes. It was medicine, and I had always been strong in science,” Keith recalls. That interest led him to Temple University in Philadelphia, where he earned a master’s degree in athletic training and worked in the field for almost five years.

While Keith enjoyed his work as a trainer, he began exploring other career paths in healthcare. “The hours were long, and the pay wasn’t great. I started looking into other options, and that’s when someone mentioned PA school. I had no idea what a Physician Assistant was at that point. It was the mid-1990s, and the profession was still relatively new.”

After shadowing a PA in his workplace, Keith applied to PA school “really on a whim” and was accepted into a program in Nashville. He initially thought he would go right back into orthopedics after graduation because of his background in athletic training. However, during his clinical rotations he discovered a passion for family practice and emergency medicine. He worked in those areas for nearly seven years before finding his way back to orthopedics.

A New Opportunity with AP Health

After spending 12 years as a PA in orthopedic practices, Keith was beginning to feel the heavy demands of the job. “I spent three days in clinic and two in the OR each week,” he explains. “Plus, I worked weekends and holidays, had call, did rounds, etc. I had two kids in middle school and felt like all my time was being consumed by my job. I was burned out.”

That’s when Keith was approached about joining AP Health in 2019. “They offered me a surgery-focused role. Once they explained the AP Health business model, I realized it would provide a better work-life balance, so I signed up. That was five years ago.”

Growth and Development at AP Health

Coming from a clinical background where he managed patient care from initial consultation through surgery and recovery, Keith had to adjust to focusing solely on the operating room. He also learned new specialties.

“As a seasoned PA, I was already well-versed in surgery and orthopedics,” he explains. “But joining AP Health was a big change. I went from working closely with just a few orthopedic surgeons, to collaborating with a much larger team of physicians across a variety of specialties. My first year was focused on learning neuro-spine, which really expanded my skill set.”

When Keith joined AP Health’s Nashville team, he was the only PA among a small group of surgical assistants. Since then, he’s witnessed—and helped drive—tremendous growth. “We’ve gone from about 8-10 providers with me being the only PA, to 25 providers with probably three-quarters of those being PAs,” he explains.

Keith’s surgical experience, leadership qualities, and strong interpersonal skills quickly set him apart, paving the way for his growth within the company. Last year, he was asked to assist the recruitment team with helping to interview new providers in addition to him working in the OR.

“We’re now staffing surgeries at more than a dozen facilities, with more growth ahead,” Keith explains. “We’ve been fortunate to build a deep bench of providers to accommodate that growth.”

Recently, Keith was named Director of Clinical Services for the Nashville team, a promotion that takes him out the OR.

“AP Health values promoting from within,” Keith says. “Having a clinical background and understanding what the OR demands of your providers gives me a unique perspective as a team leader. I feel fortunate to be given the opportunity to step into this role.”

Finding the Right Balance

In his new position, Keith oversees a growing team of providers, helps with scheduling, meets with physicians and facilities to understand their needs, and ensures that AP Health maintains its high standards of care.

While he occasionally misses direct patient care and the hands-on aspects of surgery, Keith values the company’s approach to work-life balance and its focus on matching the right providers with the right physicians.

“While managing people is new to me, I like interacting with our providers and making sure we are creating a good environment for them,” he says. “I know it’s been a good one for me.”

AP Health Earns 2025 Great Place To Work Certification™

Posted on February 12, 2025

Nashville, TN — AP Health is proud to announce that it has been Certified™ by Great Place to Work® for the fifth year in a row! This prestigious recognition is based entirely on employee feedback, reflecting our team’s trust, satisfaction, and positive workplace experiences. In this year’s survey, 85% of employees affirmed that AP Health is a great place to work—exceeding the national average for U.S. companies.

Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors that drive business success, including higher employee retention, innovation, and revenue growth.

“Earning Great Place to Work Certification for the fifth consecutive year is a tremendous honor,” said John T. Gray, CEO of AP Health. “At AP Health, we believe that a strong, engaged workforce is the foundation of our success. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to fostering a positive workplace where our employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to make a difference.”

A Culture Built on Growth, Support, and Innovation
At AP Health, we prioritize a people-first culture by fostering a workplace that values professional development, collaboration, and well-being. Over the past year, we have:

–Continuously evaluated and enhanced our benefits to ensure they best serve our employees, supporting their overall well-being and work-life balance.
–Prioritized strategic recruitment efforts to maintain a full team, allowing for flexible scheduling and reducing the risk of burnout among our healthcare professionals.
–Invested in our proprietary software, streamlining workflows and improving processes to make day-to-day operations more efficient and seamless for our employees.
–Strengthened our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating an environment where every team member feels heard, respected, and valued.

Why Work With Us?
According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find great leadership at Certified workplaces. Employees at Certified companies are also 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work and are twice as likely to feel they are fairly compensated and given growth opportunities.
Looking for a career with a company that truly values its people? Join our award-winning team! Visit our careers page to explore opportunities: WORK WITH US

For more information on Great Place to Work Certification, visit Great Place to Work

AP Health and TexAssist Announce Strategic Partnership to Form AP of Dallas, a Leading Surgical Assist Services Provider

Posted on October 21, 2024

Nashville, TN (October 21st, 2024) – New Joint Venture to Deliver Superior Advanced Practice Providers (APP) and Surgical Assistants Across the Dallas-Fort Worth Area

AP Health and TexAssist are pleased to announce their partnership to form a joint venture, AP of Dallas, establishing a market-leading outsourced clinical services platform. This strategic alliance brings together the expertise of both organizations, enabling them to provide highly experienced and top-quality Advanced Practice Providers (APP) and Surgical First Assistants to hospitals and surgical facilities throughout the market.

By combining their clinical excellence, operational strengths, and talented healthcare professionals, AP of Dallas will offer partner hospitals and surgery centers optimized patient outcomes, enhanced operational efficiencies, and cost-effective solutions. The collaboration also sets the stage for the continued delivery of high-quality care while addressing the evolving needs of the healthcare industry.

“This is a milestone moment for AP Health,” said J. Toby Gray, CEO of AP Health. “We have long admired TexAssist’s commitment to clinical excellence, and our shared focus on driving superior patient outcomes, improving efficiencies, and delivering value to all stakeholders makes this partnership a natural fit. By forming AP of Dallas, we will continue to advance health and well-being across the Dallas-Fort Worth community, offering even more robust support to our partner facilities and practitioners.”

AP of Dallas will be majority-owned by AP Health, with both companies maintaining their leadership teams. There will be no changes to the team of practitioners transitioning from TexAssist to the new entity.

C.J. Brock, CEO of TexAssist, added, “We’re extremely proud of the work we have done at TexAssist, and we know that by joining forces with AP Health, we can achieve even more. Together, we are poised to expand access to our exemplary services and continue addressing some of the most critical healthcare challenges in this market, including growing our provider base.”

About AP Health:

AP Health is a national leader in providing healthcare solutions, specializing in the recruitment and placement of Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) and clinical talent. With a focus on quality care, AP Health partners with hospitals and surgical facilities to offer innovative staffing solutions that enhance patient outcomes, reduce costs, and ensure operational efficiency. The company’s commitment to excellence in care delivery and service makes it a trusted partner in the healthcare sector. Learn more at AP Health.

About TexAssist:

TexAssist is a premier provider of surgical assisting services, offering highly skilled Surgical Assistants to healthcare facilities throughout Texas. With a focus on clinical excellence, TexAssist delivers customized solutions that improve surgical efficiency and patient care. The company has built a reputation for providing experienced practitioners who work seamlessly with surgeons and healthcare teams to enhance operational outcomes. Learn more at TexAssist.

Cybersecurity Takes Center Stage

By Greg Flanagan, COO

Posted on October 9, 2024

While cybersecurity has long been a focus of health system IT departments, it is now a top priority of the entire organization, from the board of directors on down. And for good reason. The threats are growing in both number and sophistication, with potentially devastating impacts. 

Healthcare Cyber Threats Continue to Grow 

Data breaches put health systems at risk for financial losses, reputational damage, loss of patient trust, and potential regulatory fines. 

  • Healthcare has the highest average cost of a data breach of any industry: $10.93 million.
  • Healthcare data breaches affected more than 89 million individuals in 2023.
  • Healthcare is projected to suffer 2-3 times more cyberattacks in 2024 than other industries.

Monitoring cybersecurity is a top concern for business leaders, with 70 percent of organizations including a discussion of cybersecurity at all board meetings. Hospitals and health systems are increasing both cybersecurity oversight and spending. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), some are spending up to 6% of their total IT budget on cyber defense.  

Technology Aids Cyber Defense 

More than half of cybersecurity leaders report increased budgets for cyber defense, with much of it for technological solutions. Like virtually every other industry, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shown great promise for enhancing cybersecurity. However, AI is a double-edged sword in the cybersecurity landscape. On one hand, AI-powered tools enhance ability to detect and respond to threats in real-time, analyze vast amounts of data for potential vulnerabilities, and automate security processes. On the other hand, cybercriminals are leveraging AI to create more sophisticated phishing schemes, automate attacks, and exploit vulnerabilities at an unprecedented scale. 

AP Health’s Approach to Cybersecurity 

As a healthcare company providing clinical staffing in hospitals, we are acutely aware of the devastating impact cyber-attacks have had on our industry. AP Health has implemented a comprehensive strategy to protect our systems, data, and, by extension, the hospitals and health systems we serve. Our approach includes: 

  1. Technological Infrastructure: We’ve invested in Barracuda Essentials, a sophisticated cybersecurity suite that includes firewalls, email gateway defense, impersonation protection, and cloud backup/archiving. This multi-layered defense system forms our first line of protection against cyber threats. 
  1. Continuous Monitoring and Adaptation: Our team conducts ongoing assessments of our cybersecurity posture, staying abreast of emerging threats and evolving our defenses accordingly. 
  1. Employee Awareness and Training: Recognizing that employees play a crucial role in cybersecurity, we’ve implemented a Security Awareness Training program. This equips our staff with the skills to identify and mitigate potential threats. 

We recognize that with a majority remote workforce and interconnected devices, our personal cybersecurity practices directly impact our professional security. Through our technology and training investments, we hope to create not only a rigorous defense against attacks, but a culture of cybersecurity. 

Cybersecurity is a Shared Responsibility 

AP Health is committed to being a trusted partner with our hospital partners to combat cyber threats. By continually enhancing our cybersecurity measures and fostering a culture of vigilance, we aim to contribute to a more secure and resilient healthcare ecosystem for all. 

Hospitals Consider ‘Make vs. Buy’ for Clinical Services

By Dave Meagher, SVP Corporate Development

Posted on July 22, 2024

In their ongoing quest for increased and sustainable profit margins, hospitals are looking at all aspects of the business in search of operational improvement. Outsourcing is an increasingly popular option. Research and Markets projects hospital outsourcing to have an annual compound growth rate of 14.4% (2023-2027). Outsourcing of clinical services is a key consideration – not just nursing, but also perioperative staff.

For health system and hospital leaders, weighing the decision to outsource clinical services comes down to a classic “make vs. buy” decision. This leads to examination of several key factors:

Cost: Outsourcing is typically seen as a premium service, at a premium price. However, comparing in-house vs. outsourced pay rates overlooks the hidden costs of employed staff, including benefits, sick days, attrition / turnover, and leave, as well as recruitment, continuing education and administrative costs.

At AP Health, the leading pure-play surgical assistant platform, in addition to relieving our hospital customers of administrative costs, we enable them to turn the fixed costs of Advanced Practice Provider (APP) employees into variable costs that can be scaled up or back to match changing surgical volumes and economic conditions. The ability to align direct clinical costs with revenue gives our partners greater flexibility in managing their ever-changing environment.

Quality: In-house clinical staff are generally assumed to provide more consistent and, as a result, higher quality patient care; this is simply not true.

At AP Health, we provide surgical facilities not only with flexibility, but also consistency of staffing. We track the preferences of the surgeons with whom we work. This means not only knowing how they like to operate, but which staff members they like to work with. Then, in dedicated effort to enable continuity and consistency, we work to provide them with their preferred APP. This coordination is something we measure and manage on an ongoing basis. The surgeons served by AP Health work with a preferred provider in 95% of the surgeries they perform.

Quality is also determined by the consistency of the care provided by practitioners over time. Unlike hospital recruiters who are tasked with hiring a wide range of clinical and non-clinical personnel, APP talent acquisition is our entire focus. And, because we are laser focused on recruiting and retaining these providers, we have worked to create a workplace where they want to stay and build their careers. We have been Great Place to Work Certified™ for the past four years. In this year’s survey, 92% of our employees rated AP Health a “great place to work.”

Efficiency: The effective utilization of resources is critical to enhancing operational efficiency and, therefore, maximizing hospital margins. A key component of that efficiency is staff utilization. Many in-house surgical staff spend more than half their paid time waiting for the next case, not generating revenue. In some hospitals, surgical staff are generating revenue just 20-40% of the time. At AP Health, our productivity reliably exceeds that due to our ability to flex up and down with case volume. Our APPs are methodically staffed to minimize downtime and facilitate optimal outcomes in the OR. Without sacrificing a commitment to the highest quality care and exemplary patient outcomes, we are able to provide the level of productivity that contributes directly to a facility’s bottom line.

In addition, AP Health’s high-performing APPs care for patients throughout the continuum of surgical care. This efficiency helps operating rooms generate additional revenue by reducing turnover time, increasing the number of cases performed, and boosting surgeon and patient satisfaction.

Control: Some hospital leaders are hesitant to outsource because they fear “losing control” of key clinical staff to an external entity. The reality is that outsourcing of clinical staff is not a transactional event where hospitals lose visibility or input into staff performance. Rather, it is a partnership with full transparency, accountability, and reporting throughout the relationship.

At AP Health, we provide our facility partners with full access to our extensive reporting metrics. This is one of the key reasons we have long-term and growing relationships with the facility partners we serve. For example, we signed our first client – Memorial Health System – more than seven years ago. We initially had 14 APPs serving Memorial. Today, we have 50 full-time APPs dedicated to the multiple facilities within the system. We also recently signed a new, multi-year contract that ensures continued growth with Memorial. Importantly, Memorial Health, across these several hospitals, has realized significant cost savings since the launch of its partnership with AP Health.

Hospitals considering “make vs. buy” decisions related to clinical staff should undertake a thorough and strategic assessment of their options. In the end, they’ll likely find that boosting operating margins is not just driven by cost reduction initiatives, but also by emphasizing quality, efficiency and productivity. Outsourcing clinical services, with the right partner(s), can produce significant financial, administrative, and surgeon and patient satisfaction benefits for surgical facilities without compromising the most essential mission – to provide the highest quality clinical care.

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