Locum tenens psychiatrists fill short-term gaps, usually for less than a year, at premium hourly rates with separate credentialing for each placement.
A psychiatric care partner like Integrated Psychiatric Consultants (IPC) provides the same provider long term, handles replacement and credentialing, and charges one bundled rate under multi-year agreements.
What does an open psychiatric position cost a hospital?
An unfilled psychiatric position can cost an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 a year in lost revenue, plus recruitment expense and delays in patient care. IPC estimates the average time to fill a psychiatric position at 12 months or more. [Based on IPC client data, 2026.]
How do locums and a psychiatric partnership compare?
See the full breakdown of vacancy costs:
Why does provider continuity matter in hospital psychiatry?
Consistent providers mean fewer handoffs, shorter onboarding cycles and stronger relationships with nursing and medical staff. IPC reports over 94% provider retention since our founding in 2002, so programs keep the same psychiatrist rather than restarting with each placement.
What happens when a provider leaves?
With locums, the hospital restarts the search, placement and onboarding process. Under an IPC partnership, IPC is responsible for finding a replacement and maintaining coverage in the meantime, at no additional cost to the hospital.
Who handles credentialing?
Locum placements require credentialing for every new provider, which creates recurring work and cost. IPC includes credentialing in the partnership and prepares complete files for fast medical staff approval.
How is IPC’s pricing different from locum rates?
Locum psychiatrists often cost $30 to $50 or more per hour above standard rates – plus travel, daily administrative fees, internet and mileage. IPC charges one bundled rate based on your program’s needs and patient census, with no separate staffing add-ons.
What kind of commitment does an IPC partnership require?
There’s no one-size-fits-all model at IPC. While some partnerships use a two-year agreement, we can custom tailor the length of your agreement to best fit your organizations needs for lasting coverage, not just short-term gap filling.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Is a psychiatric partnership more expensive than locum tenens?
Often no. Locum rates often run $30–$50+ per hour higher and add travel and admin fees. A partnership uses one bundled rate, and it avoids the repeated onboarding and credentialing costs that come with each new locum placement.
How long do locum tenens psychiatry assignments last?
Locum assignments are typically short-term gap coverage, usually less than one year.
Can IPC cover a position while a hospital recruits?
We offer a variety of staffing models, custom tailored to your organization. Connect with our team to see how we can help support your organization, no matter your long-term goals.
About Integrated Psychiatric Consultants
Integrated Psychiatric Consultants, P.A. has provided psychiatrist-led hospital psychiatry services since 2002. IPC serves all types of facilities in need of psychiatric providers (inpatient units, consult-liaison, EDs, etc.) across the United States.