[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":987},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$AT5N6C5dAI":3},{"story":4,"region":986},["Reactive",5],{"name":6,"created_at":7,"published_at":8,"updated_at":9,"id":10,"uuid":11,"content":12,"slug":979,"full_slug":980,"sort_by_date":49,"position":981,"tag_list":982,"is_startpage":17,"parent_id":983,"meta_data":49,"group_id":984,"first_published_at":8,"release_id":49,"lang":55,"path":49,"alternates":985,"default_full_slug":49,"translated_slugs":49},"How to Reduce Healthcare Agency Spend From Your Own Pool","2026-06-15T06:30:19.577Z","2026-06-15T06:46:14.506Z","2026-06-15T06:46:14.523Z",187659958637588,"c7f68ec2-db3c-4611-9d85-5e2bcc0fe17a",{"seo":13,"_uid":21,"AI_SEO":22,"author":23,"content":58,"headline":6,"component":820,"post_date":821,"thumbnail":822,"types_tag":832,"features_tag":858,"show_resource":57,"industries_tag":899,"related_articles":978},{"title":14,"plugin":15,"schema":16,"noindex":17,"seoTitle":18,"seoRating":17,"seoKeywords":19,"seoTitleInput":6,"seoDescription":20},"SEO Metadata","deputy-seo-metadata","",false,"How to Reduce Healthcare Agency Spend From Your Own Pool — Deputy","healthcare agency spend\nreduce agency spend healthcare\nagency staffing costs healthcare\nhealthcare scheduling software\ninternal staffing pool healthcare\nfill shifts without agency\nhealthcare workforce management\nnurse staffing agency costs\nshift management healthcare\nhealthcare labor costs\nreduce travel nurse costs\nagency nurse vs permanent staff\nhealthcare shift scheduling\nopen shift broadcasting healthcare\ncross-training healthcare staff\nhealthcare employee retention\nscheduling technology healthcare\ndemand forecasting healthcare staffing","Healthcare agency spend can cost 2x to 4x more than permanent staff. 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business owners, managers, and their employees to create helpful articles about how to make their worklife easier.","deputy-team","_content_types/authors/deputy-team",null,-50,[],11461645,"416bfdf9-510c-4a02-a693-84f4847ef5b2","2020-06-22T07:51:34.947Z","default",[],true,[59,441,466],{"_uid":60,"content":61,"component":440},"d8478492-50fc-46f4-8192-fb2d3642de43",{"type":62,"content":63},"doc",[64,73,81,109,115,201,203,207,213,217,246,256,261,265,269,289,301,306,310,318,326,334,342,346,351,355,362,366,372,385,391,395,401,405,409,412,430],{"type":65,"attrs":66,"content":69},"heading",{"id":67,"level":68},"how-to-reduce-healthcare-agency-spend-by-filling-shifts-from-your-own-pool",1,[70],{"text":71,"type":72},"How to Reduce Healthcare Agency Spend by Filling Shifts From Your Own Pool","text",{"type":74,"content":75},"paragraph",[76],{"text":77,"type":72,"marks":78},"Key Takeaways",[79],{"type":80},"bold",{"type":82,"content":83},"bullet_list",[84,91,97,103],{"type":85,"content":86},"list_item",[87],{"type":74,"content":88},[89],{"text":90,"type":72},"Agency staff can cost healthcare facilities two to four times more per hour than permanent employees, and the gap widens when you factor in agency markups, onboarding friction, and inconsistent care quality.",{"type":85,"content":92},[93],{"type":74,"content":94},[95],{"text":96,"type":72},"Building an internal staff pool and using scheduling technology to fill open shifts from your own team first is the most direct way to reduce agency dependency.",{"type":85,"content":98},[99],{"type":74,"content":100},[101],{"text":102,"type":72},"Shift broadcasting, self-service scheduling, and demand forecasting let you fill gaps in minutes rather than calling an agency.",{"type":85,"content":104},[105],{"type":74,"content":106},[107],{"text":108,"type":72},"Retention strategies like flexible scheduling and shift autonomy reduce the vacancies that trigger agency use in the first place.",{"type":74,"content":110},[111],{"text":112,"type":72,"marks":113},"Table of contents",[114],{"type":80},{"type":116,"content":117},"ordered_list",[118,131,141,151,161,171,181,191],{"type":85,"content":119},[120],{"type":74,"content":121},[122],{"text":123,"type":72,"marks":124},"The real cost of agency staff in healthcare",[125],{"type":126,"attrs":127},"link",{"href":128,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#the-real-cost-of-agency-staff-in-healthcare","_self","url",{"type":85,"content":132},[133],{"type":74,"content":134},[135],{"text":136,"type":72,"marks":137},"Why healthcare facilities over-rely on agency staff",[138],{"type":126,"attrs":139},{"href":140,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#why-healthcare-facilities-over-rely-on-agency-staff",{"type":85,"content":142},[143],{"type":74,"content":144},[145],{"text":146,"type":72,"marks":147},"How to build and use an internal staff pool",[148],{"type":126,"attrs":149},{"href":150,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#how-to-build-and-use-an-internal-staff-pool",{"type":85,"content":152},[153],{"type":74,"content":154},[155],{"text":156,"type":72,"marks":157},"Scheduling strategies that cut agency dependency",[158],{"type":126,"attrs":159},{"href":160,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#scheduling-strategies-that-cut-agency-dependency",{"type":85,"content":162},[163],{"type":74,"content":164},[165],{"text":166,"type":72,"marks":167},"Retention strategies that reduce the need for agency staff",[168],{"type":126,"attrs":169},{"href":170,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#retention-strategies-that-reduce-the-need-for-agency-staff",{"type":85,"content":172},[173],{"type":74,"content":174},[175],{"text":176,"type":72,"marks":177},"How to measure your agency spend reduction",[178],{"type":126,"attrs":179},{"href":180,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#how-to-measure-your-agency-spend-reduction",{"type":85,"content":182},[183],{"type":74,"content":184},[185],{"text":186,"type":72,"marks":187},"Compliance considerations for healthcare scheduling",[188],{"type":126,"attrs":189},{"href":190,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#compliance-considerations-for-healthcare-scheduling",{"type":85,"content":192},[193],{"type":74,"content":194},[195],{"text":196,"type":72,"marks":197},"FAQ",[198],{"type":126,"attrs":199},{"href":200,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":129,"linktype":130},"#faq",{"type":202},"horizontal_rule",{"type":74,"content":204},[205],{"text":206,"type":72},"If you manage a healthcare facility, agency staffing costs are likely one of your biggest budget headaches. Agency hours in US hospitals surged 133% between 2019 and 2022, and the price gap between agency workers and permanent staff keeps widening. The good news: you can cut that spend significantly by filling shifts from your own team first. In this guide, you'll learn how to build an internal staff pool, use scheduling technology to fill gaps faster, and track the metrics that prove your strategy is working.",{"type":65,"attrs":208,"content":211},{"id":209,"level":210},"the-real-cost-of-agency-staff-in-healthcare",2,[212],{"text":123,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":214},[215],{"text":216,"type":72},"If you manage staffing at a healthcare facility, you already know agency workers cost more. But the actual numbers might surprise you.",{"type":74,"content":218},[219,221,228,230,236,238,244],{"text":220,"type":72},"According to research published in ",{"text":222,"type":72,"marks":223},"PMC (PubMed Central)",[224],{"type":126,"attrs":225},{"href":226,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/","_blank",{"text":229,"type":72},", agency hours in US hospitals surged 133% between 2019 and 2022. Hospital labor costs jumped by more than one-third during the same period, adding roughly $24 billion in expenses according to the ",{"text":231,"type":72,"marks":232},"American Hospital Association",[233],{"type":126,"attrs":234},{"href":235,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.aha.org/",{"text":237,"type":72},". Travel nurses now earn approximately $102 per hour compared to permanent registered nurses at roughly $41 per hour, based on the ",{"text":239,"type":72,"marks":240},"NSI 2024 National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report",[241],{"type":126,"attrs":242},{"href":243,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/",{"text":245,"type":72},". That means you're paying 2.5 to four times more per hour for agency coverage.",{"type":74,"content":247},[248,250,254],{"text":249,"type":72},"And those are just the direct costs. ",{"text":251,"type":72,"marks":252},"Agency markups",[253],{"type":80},{"text":255,"type":72},", contract minimums, and administrative overhead push the real price even higher.",{"type":257,"attrs":258},"image",{"alt":259,"src":260,"title":16},"Healthcare practice manager reviewing staffing schedules on a laptop in a modern medical office","//a.storyblok.com/f/64010/0x0/d1c332bf7c/image.png",{"type":74,"content":262},[263],{"type":264},"hardBreak",{"type":74,"content":266},[267],{"text":268,"type":72},"Every time an unfamiliar agency worker steps onto your floor, you lose care continuity, spend time on orientation, and take on additional compliance risk.",{"type":74,"content":270},[271,273,279,281,287],{"text":272,"type":72},"The problem isn't going away. The ",{"text":274,"type":72,"marks":275},"global healthcare staffing market",[276],{"type":126,"attrs":277},{"href":278,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.precedenceresearch.com/healthcare-staffing-market",{"text":280,"type":72}," is projected to grow from $42 billion in 2026 to $68 billion by 2034. Healthcare shift employment in the US has already grown 17% since 2022, the highest growth rate among major shift-based industries, according to Deputy's ",{"text":282,"type":72,"marks":283},"Big Shift Report",[284],{"type":126,"attrs":285},{"href":286,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/insights/the-big-shift-2025",{"text":288,"type":72},".",{"type":74,"content":290},[291,293,299],{"text":292,"type":72},"The bottom line: every shift you fill with an agency worker instead of your own staff is money you could be spending on better patient care, competitive wages, or facility improvements. The right ",{"text":294,"type":72,"marks":295},"healthcare scheduling software",[296],{"type":126,"attrs":297},{"href":298,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/industry/healthcare",{"text":300,"type":72}," can help you shift that balance.",{"type":65,"attrs":302,"content":304},{"id":303,"level":210},"why-healthcare-facilities-over-rely-on-agency-staff",[305],{"text":136,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":307},[308],{"text":309,"type":72},"Before you can cut agency spend, you need to understand what's driving it. For most facilities, the root cause isn't a shortage of workers. It's a shortage of visibility and speed.",{"type":74,"content":311},[312,316],{"text":313,"type":72,"marks":314},"Last-minute call-outs and no-shows",[315],{"type":80},{"text":317,"type":72}," create urgent gaps that default to agency calls. When a nurse calls in sick at 5 a.m. and you don't have a fast way to reach available internal staff, the agency hotline becomes your first call, not your last resort.",{"type":74,"content":319},[320,324],{"text":321,"type":72,"marks":322},"Lack of visibility into staff availability",[323],{"type":80},{"text":325,"type":72}," is another common culprit. Managers often don't know which per-diem or part-time employees are free to pick up shifts. That information lives in text threads, sticky notes, or someone's memory.",{"type":74,"content":327},[328,332],{"text":329,"type":72,"marks":330},"Manual scheduling processes",[331],{"type":80},{"text":333,"type":72}," make things worse. Spreadsheets and paper schedules can't react fast enough to fill gaps before the shift starts. By the time you've called through a list of names, the shift is already underway with an agency worker in place.",{"type":74,"content":335},[336,340],{"text":337,"type":72,"marks":338},"High turnover",[339],{"type":80},{"text":341,"type":72}," creates a cycle that's hard to break. According to Deputy's Big Shift Report, healthcare hiring demand has declined to 0.8% of the workforce, which means facilities are prioritizing retention and optimization over new hires. When you lose experienced staff, you lose schedule stability, and agency reliance climbs.",{"type":74,"content":343},[344],{"text":345,"type":72},"Burnout from understaffing pushes more staff to leave, which creates more gaps, which drives more agency calls. Recognizing this cycle is the first step toward breaking it.",{"type":65,"attrs":347,"content":349},{"id":348,"level":210},"how-to-build-and-use-an-internal-staff-pool",[350],{"text":146,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":352},[353],{"text":354,"type":72},"An internal staff pool is your first line of defense against agency dependency. It's a group of part-time, casual, per-diem, and cross-trained employees who can pick up extra shifts when gaps appear. Here's how to build one that actually works.",{"type":65,"attrs":356,"content":359},{"id":357,"level":358},"step-1-audit-your-current-workforce",3,[360],{"text":361,"type":72},"Step 1: Audit your current workforce",{"type":74,"content":363},[364],{"text":365,"type":72},"Start by identifying staff who want more hours, have flexible availability, or hold credentials for multiple roles. You probably have more coverage capacity than you realize. Talk to your team. Many part-time employees and per-diem workers would gladly pick up additional shifts if the process were easier.",{"type":65,"attrs":367,"content":369},{"id":368,"level":358},"step-2-make-open-shifts-visible-and-easy-to-claim",[370],{"text":371,"type":72},"Step 2: Make open shifts visible and easy to claim",{"type":74,"content":373},[374,376,383],{"text":375,"type":72},"Your available staff can't fill shifts they don't know about. Use **mobile-first **",{"text":377,"type":72,"marks":378},"scheduling tools",[379,380],{"type":80},{"type":126,"attrs":381},{"href":382,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/features/scheduling-software",{"text":384,"type":72}," that let workers see and claim open shifts from their phone. When staff can browse available shifts during their commute or on a break, you get faster fill rates without a single phone call.",{"type":65,"attrs":386,"content":388},{"id":387,"level":358},"step-3-broadcast-unfilled-shifts-to-qualified-staff-instantly",[389],{"text":390,"type":72},"Step 3: Broadcast unfilled shifts to qualified staff instantly",{"type":74,"content":392},[393],{"text":394,"type":72},"Instead of calling through a list, push unfilled shifts to every qualified internal worker at once. The first person to accept gets the shift. This turns a 30-minute phone chain into a process that takes seconds. Deputy's open shift feature, for example, sends mobile notifications to qualified team members the moment a shift becomes available, so your internal pool gets first priority before you ever contact an agency.",{"type":65,"attrs":396,"content":398},{"id":397,"level":358},"step-4-only-escalate-to-an-agency-after-internal-options-are-exhausted",[399],{"text":400,"type":72},"Step 4: Only escalate to an agency after internal options are exhausted",{"type":74,"content":402},[403],{"text":404,"type":72},"Make agency staffing your last step, not your first. Set a clear policy: every open shift goes to your internal pool first. Only after a defined window (say, four hours before the shift) does the request go to an agency. This simple workflow change can dramatically reduce your agency hours.",{"type":257,"attrs":406},{"alt":407,"src":408,"title":16},"Healthcare workers checking shift notifications on mobile phones during a break","//a.storyblok.com/f/64010/0x0/4e67877b08/image.png",{"type":74,"content":410},[411],{"type":264},{"type":74,"content":413},[414,416,422,424,428],{"text":415,"type":72},"Organizations that have made this shift see real savings. Marlene Rossi, Staffing Manager at ",{"text":417,"type":72,"marks":418},"Child Care Staffing",[419],{"type":126,"attrs":420},{"href":421,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/customers/child-care-staffing",{"text":423,"type":72},", says, 'When we started using Deputy six years ago, we probably had a pool of 18 subs. We've gone to 100 subs now. One person can't schedule all that with paper and a pencil. It takes support from an electronic tool.' The organization saved ",{"text":425,"type":72,"marks":426},"$100,000 in salary costs",[427],{"type":80},{"text":429,"type":72}," by streamlining scheduling with Deputy.",{"type":74,"content":431},[432,434,438],{"text":433,"type":72},"Deputy customers also report up to a ",{"text":435,"type":72,"marks":436},"50% reduction in time",[437],{"type":80},{"text":439,"type":72}," spent on scheduling management, freeing up hours every week that managers can redirect to patient care and team support.","cms-blog-richtext",{"_uid":442,"ctas":443,"theme":457,"component":458,"hide_capterra":57,"spacer_bottom":459,"call_to_action":460,"call_to_action_style":55},"d839f420-aa39-478a-9810-0a99f91b7215",[444,452],{"_uid":445,"link":446,"text":449,"type":450,"component":451,"analyticsId":16},"616db741-67e2-45c9-9f7a-4c5b980802c1",{"id":16,"url":16,"linktype":447,"fieldtype":448,"cached_url":16},"story","multilink","Start for free","signup","buttonContentType",{"_uid":453,"link":454,"text":455,"type":456,"component":451,"analyticsId":16},"1710d62e-6471-4877-9505-d91a20d502e3",{"id":16,"url":16,"linktype":447,"fieldtype":448,"cached_url":16},"See how it works","consultation","azure","cms-cta-dark","40",{"type":62,"content":461},[462],{"type":74,"content":463},[464],{"text":465,"type":72},"Discover how Deputy can make managing your team effortless",{"_uid":467,"content":468,"component":440},"f090ad02-a670-46e5-b5d4-6e0cebbb6560",{"type":62,"content":469},[470,475,479,485,497,503,515,521,533,539,543,549,553,559,563,568,572,594,598,614,618,623,627,687,699,704,708,712,716,722,726,730,762,774,780,784,788,792,796,800,804,808,812,816],{"type":65,"attrs":471,"content":473},{"id":472,"level":210},"scheduling-strategies-that-cut-agency-dependency",[474],{"text":156,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":476},[477],{"text":478,"type":72},"Building a pool is step one. The right scheduling strategies make sure you actually fill shifts from it. Here are six tactics that reduce gaps before they become agency calls.",{"type":65,"attrs":480,"content":482},{"id":481,"level":358},"forecast-demand-before-gaps-appear",[483],{"text":484,"type":72},"Forecast demand before gaps appear",{"type":74,"content":486},[487,489,495],{"text":488,"type":72},"Use historical data and AI-powered tools to predict staffing needs days or weeks in advance. If you know Tuesdays and Fridays are your highest call-out days, you can proactively line up backup coverage. Deputy's ",{"text":490,"type":72,"marks":491},"AI-powered demand forecasting",[492],{"type":126,"attrs":493},{"href":494,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/blog/7-game-changing-benefits-of-using-ai-for-demand-forecasting",{"text":496,"type":72}," analyzes past patterns to help you build schedules that account for expected gaps, not just planned shifts.",{"type":65,"attrs":498,"content":500},{"id":499,"level":358},"auto-schedule-by-qualifications",[501],{"text":502,"type":72},"Auto-schedule by qualifications",{"type":74,"content":504},[505,507,513],{"text":506,"type":72},"Not every staff member can fill every shift. Credential requirements, certifications, and skill sets matter in healthcare. Auto-scheduling tools match shifts to workers who hold the right qualifications, so you don't waste time offering shifts to people who can't legally or practically fill them. Deputy's AI Auto-Scheduling handles this matching automatically based on the qualifications you configure. Combined with ",{"text":508,"type":72,"marks":509},"labor forecasting",[510],{"type":126,"attrs":511},{"href":512,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/blog/how-shift-based-businesses-can-use-ai-for-better-labor-forecasting",{"text":514,"type":72},", you can predict and prevent gaps before they happen.",{"type":65,"attrs":516,"content":518},{"id":517,"level":358},"enable-shift-swapping-between-qualified-staff",[519],{"text":520,"type":72},"Enable shift swapping between qualified staff",{"type":74,"content":522},[523,525,531],{"text":524,"type":72},"When a scheduled employee can't make their shift, let them trade directly with a qualified colleague. Shift swapping keeps coverage filled without manager intervention. You set the rules (same qualifications, no overtime violations), and staff handle the rest through their phones. If you don't have a formal ",{"text":526,"type":72,"marks":527},"shift swap policy",[528],{"type":126,"attrs":529},{"href":530,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/blog/develop-an-effective-shift-swap-policy",{"text":532,"type":72}," yet, now is the time to create one.",{"type":65,"attrs":534,"content":536},{"id":535,"level":358},"watch-overtime-thresholds-closely",[537],{"text":538,"type":72},"Watch overtime thresholds closely",{"type":74,"content":540},[541],{"text":542,"type":72},"Agency calls often happen when managers try to avoid overtime costs. But if you can see overtime thresholds in real time, you can redistribute shifts to keep hours balanced across your team. This reduces both overtime expenses and the reflexive jump to agency staffing.",{"type":65,"attrs":544,"content":546},{"id":545,"level":358},"publish-schedules-further-in-advance",[547],{"text":548,"type":72},"Publish schedules further in advance",{"type":74,"content":550},[551],{"text":552,"type":72},"Publishing schedules two or more weeks ahead gives your internal staff time to plan around open shifts. When people can see availability early, they're more likely to pick up extra work. Last-minute schedules leave no room for internal fill, which pushes you toward agencies.",{"type":65,"attrs":554,"content":556},{"id":555,"level":358},"cross-train-staff-for-multiple-roles",[557],{"text":558,"type":72},"Cross-train staff for multiple roles",{"type":74,"content":560},[561],{"text":562,"type":72},"The more roles your team members can cover, the deeper your available pool for any given shift. Cross-training takes upfront investment, but it pays off every time a cross-trained employee fills a shift that would otherwise go to an agency.",{"type":65,"attrs":564,"content":566},{"id":565,"level":210},"retention-strategies-that-reduce-the-need-for-agency-staff",[567],{"text":166,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":569},[570],{"text":571,"type":72},"The most effective way to reduce agency spend is to keep your own staff. Every employee who stays is one fewer gap to fill. Here's what healthcare workers actually want.",{"type":74,"content":573},[574,578,580,584,586,592],{"text":575,"type":72,"marks":576},"Flexible scheduling and shift autonomy",[577],{"type":80},{"text":579,"type":72}," are at the top of the list. Staff who can set their own availability, pick up shifts that fit their lives, and swap when plans change are more satisfied and less likely to burn out. Competitive pay matters, but ",{"text":581,"type":72,"marks":582},"schedule control",[583],{"type":80},{"text":585,"type":72}," is what keeps healthcare workers coming back. The connection between ",{"text":587,"type":72,"marks":588},"flexible scheduling and retention",[589],{"type":126,"attrs":590},{"href":591,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/blog/the-link-between-flexible-shift-management-and-employee-retention",{"text":593,"type":72}," is well documented.",{"type":74,"content":595},[596],{"text":597,"type":72},"Communication plays a role too. Teams that feel connected to their managers and to each other report higher engagement. When staff can flag concerns, request changes, and get quick responses through tools like Deputy's built-in communication features, small frustrations don't snowball into resignations.",{"type":74,"content":599},[600,602,606,608,612],{"text":601,"type":72},"The data backs this up. According to Deputy customer data, Lifeways, a healthcare organization with over 1,000 locations, recorded a ",{"text":603,"type":72,"marks":604},"23% engagement increase",[605],{"type":80},{"text":607,"type":72}," over 24 months after modernizing scheduling and reducing reliance on agency workers. And Deputy's Big Shift Report found that healthcare workers recorded a ",{"text":609,"type":72,"marks":610},"4% rise in shift sentiment",[611],{"type":80},{"text":613,"type":72},", with fewer workers reporting feeling stressed or frustrated on the job.",{"type":74,"content":615},[616],{"text":617,"type":72},"Retention isn't just a feel-good goal. It's a direct lever on your agency budget. Every nurse, aide, or technician you retain is one fewer shift you need to fill from outside your organization.",{"type":65,"attrs":619,"content":621},{"id":620,"level":210},"how-to-measure-your-agency-spend-reduction",[622],{"text":176,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":624},[625],{"text":626,"type":72},"You can't manage what you don't measure. Here are the metrics that tell you whether your strategy is working.",{"type":82,"content":628},[629,639,649,659,669],{"type":85,"content":630},[631],{"type":74,"content":632},[633,637],{"text":634,"type":72,"marks":635},"Agency spend as a percentage of total labor costs.",[636],{"type":80},{"text":638,"type":72}," Track this month over month. A downward trend means your internal fill strategy is working.",{"type":85,"content":640},[641],{"type":74,"content":642},[643,647],{"text":644,"type":72,"marks":645},"Cost per shift (agency vs. internal).",[646],{"type":80},{"text":648,"type":72}," Compare the fully loaded cost of an agency-filled shift to an internally filled one, including any overtime premium. The gap is your savings opportunity.",{"type":85,"content":650},[651],{"type":74,"content":652},[653,657],{"text":654,"type":72,"marks":655},"Internal shift fill rate.",[656],{"type":80},{"text":658,"type":72}," What percentage of open shifts are filled by your own staff versus by agencies? This is your most actionable metric.",{"type":85,"content":660},[661],{"type":74,"content":662},[663,667],{"text":664,"type":72,"marks":665},"Time-to-fill.",[666],{"type":80},{"text":668,"type":72}," How quickly are open shifts being claimed by internal staff? Faster fill times mean fewer emergency agency calls.",{"type":85,"content":670},[671],{"type":74,"content":672},[673,677,679,685],{"text":674,"type":72,"marks":675},"Department-level agency usage.",[676],{"type":80},{"text":678,"type":72}," Use ",{"text":680,"type":72,"marks":681},"scheduling analytics",[682],{"type":126,"attrs":683},{"href":684,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/blog/why-workforce-data-matters-and-how-deputy-analytics-can-help",{"text":686,"type":72}," to identify which departments, units, or shift types still rely most on agencies. Target your interventions there.",{"type":74,"content":688},[689,691,697],{"text":690,"type":72},"Deputy's analytics and reporting tools give you real-time visibility into labor costs, shift fill rates, and scheduling patterns across locations, helping you ",{"text":692,"type":72,"marks":693},"reduce labor costs",[694],{"type":126,"attrs":695},{"href":696,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/blog/5-tips-to-reduce-labor-costs",{"text":698,"type":72}," systematically. You can drill into the data by department, role, or time period to pinpoint exactly where agency dollars are going and track improvement over time.",{"type":65,"attrs":700,"content":702},{"id":701,"level":210},"compliance-considerations-for-healthcare-scheduling",[703],{"text":186,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":705},[706],{"text":707,"type":72},"When you change how shifts are filled, you also need to stay on top of labor law requirements. Overtime thresholds, break rules, and credential requirements vary by state and facility type. Under current requirements, many jurisdictions require advance notice of schedule changes and mandate specific rest periods between shifts.",{"type":74,"content":709},[710],{"text":711,"type":72},"Deputy supports compliance workflows by letting you configure pay rules, set overtime alerts, and track break requirements within your scheduling process. It surfaces potential issues before they become problems, so you can address them proactively.",{"type":74,"content":713},[714],{"text":715,"type":72},"Keep in mind: compliance remains your organization's responsibility. Deputy provides the tools to support those efforts, but it does not replace legal counsel or guarantee compliance outcomes. If you're unsure how scheduling changes affect your obligations, consult your legal team.",{"type":65,"attrs":717,"content":719},{"id":718,"level":210},"conclusion",[720],{"text":721,"type":72},"Conclusion",{"type":74,"content":723},[724],{"text":725,"type":72},"Reducing healthcare agency spend isn't about eliminating agencies entirely. It's about making your own team your first option for every open shift. That shift in approach (from agency-first to own-pool-first) is a scheduling workflow change, and the right technology makes it possible at scale.",{"type":74,"content":727},[728],{"text":729,"type":72},"Here's your action plan:",{"type":82,"content":731},[732,738,744,750,756],{"type":85,"content":733},[734],{"type":74,"content":735},[736],{"text":737,"type":72},"Build and maintain an internal staff pool of part-time, per-diem, and cross-trained workers who want extra shifts",{"type":85,"content":739},[740],{"type":74,"content":741},[742],{"text":743,"type":72},"Use shift broadcasting and mobile notifications to fill gaps from your own team before calling an agency",{"type":85,"content":745},[746],{"type":74,"content":747},[748],{"text":749,"type":72},"Forecast demand and auto-schedule by qualifications to prevent gaps before they happen",{"type":85,"content":751},[752],{"type":74,"content":753},[754],{"text":755,"type":72},"Invest in retention through flexible scheduling, shift autonomy, and responsive communication",{"type":85,"content":757},[758],{"type":74,"content":759},[760],{"text":761,"type":72},"Track agency spend, fill rates, and cost-per-shift to measure progress and target problem areas",{"type":74,"content":763},[764,766,772],{"text":765,"type":72},"Deputy helps healthcare facilities fill more shifts internally, reduce agency dependency, and gain visibility into labor costs, all from one platform. ",{"text":767,"type":72,"marks":768},"Try Deputy for free",[769],{"type":126,"attrs":770},{"href":771,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":227,"linktype":130},"https://www.deputy.com/free-trial",{"text":773,"type":72}," and see how your facility can start cutting agency spend today.",{"type":65,"attrs":775,"content":778},{"id":776,"level":777},"faq",4,[779],{"text":196,"type":72},{"type":74,"content":781},[782],{"text":783,"type":72},"How much can Deputy help reduce healthcare agency spend?",{"type":74,"content":785},[786],{"text":787,"type":72},"Deputy's open shift broadcasting and auto-scheduling help healthcare facilities fill more shifts from their own team first, reducing the need to call agencies. Customers like Child Care Staffing have saved $100,000 in salary costs by streamlining scheduling with Deputy. Your actual savings depend on your current agency usage, internal pool size, and how quickly your team adopts the new workflow.",{"type":74,"content":789},[790],{"text":791,"type":72},"Can Deputy help fill last-minute shifts without using an agency?",{"type":74,"content":793},[794],{"text":795,"type":72},"Yes. Deputy lets you push unfilled shifts to qualified staff instantly via mobile notification. Available team members can claim shifts in seconds, so you fill gaps from your own pool before reaching out to an agency. You control which staff receive notifications based on qualifications, availability, and location.",{"type":74,"content":797},[798],{"text":799,"type":72},"What scheduling features help reduce agency dependency?",{"type":74,"content":801},[802],{"text":803,"type":72},"Deputy's AI Auto-Scheduling matches shifts to qualified staff automatically, demand forecasting predicts staffing needs before gaps appear, and shift swapping lets team members trade shifts directly to keep coverage filled. Together, these features reduce the last-minute gaps that typically trigger agency calls.",{"type":74,"content":805},[806],{"text":807,"type":72},"Does Deputy work for multi-location healthcare facilities?",{"type":74,"content":809},[810],{"text":811,"type":72},"Yes. Deputy supports multi-location scheduling with location-specific rules, qualifications tracking, and centralized analytics. You can manage staffing across clinics, wards, or care sites from a single platform, giving you visibility into agency usage and fill rates at every location.",{"type":74,"content":813},[814],{"text":815,"type":72},"How does Deputy help with healthcare scheduling compliance?",{"type":74,"content":817},[818],{"text":819,"type":72},"Deputy supports compliance workflows by letting you configure pay rules, track break requirements, and surface potential scheduling issues. It helps you stay on top of labor law requirements so you can focus on patient care. 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