Specialty Spotlight: Locum Tenens Cardiology Jobs & Career Outlook for American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, and we're marking the occasion by shining our specialty spotlight on locum tenens cardiologists, along with a look at locum cardiology jobs, compensation rates, and a rundown of Heart Month resources.

As most physicians are all too aware, heart disease is the leading cause of death among all Americans across all walks of life, with one in every four deaths in the U.S. attributed to this pervasive condition. The role of all physicians and clinicians in combating heart disease is critical — not just in February, but throughout the year.

As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services points out, heart disease "can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for people to make healthier choices."

To help folks do just that — and to help physicians get the ball rolling — here's a quick list of American Heart Month resources to share with your patients, families, and communities.

• American Heart Month Resources from Healthfinder.gov: Information to get involved and help get the word out about heart disease, including a variety of patient resources and guide to further reading.
• Guide to Getting Involved in National Heart Month from Million Hearts®: With a focus on raising awareness of heart health among younger adults, this rundown of info and resources from MillionHearts.org offers a heart disease fact sheet, a guide to healthy living habits, a healthy eating & lifestyle resource center, a video on "Learning Your Heart Age," and lots more.
• The CDC's Guide to Heart Health for Men: The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention offers a handy guide on heart health for men, with an emphasis on African American men, who "are at the highest risk for heart disease ... especially those who live in the southeast region of the United States."
• The American Heart Association's Heart Month Stories & News: The AHA offers a collection of news and stories geared towards imparting the importance of heart health, along with an opportunity to support the cause by shopping heart-related products.

According to Medscape's 2016 Cardiologist Compensation Report, physicians working on cardiology are the second-highest compensated in the United States. At an average salary of $410,000, cardiologists rank below only doctors of orthopedics on the overall scale of physician compensation.

"Cardiologists reported an 8% increase in income this year, sixth-highest among all physicians," the Medscape report noted while pointing out that the "highest earnings for cardiologists were reported in the Northwest ($469,000), North Central ($458,000), and Southeast ($455,000) regions, while the lowest was in the Southwest ($348,000) and Mid-Atlantic ($375,000)."

Like most physician specialties in the U.S., locum tenens cardiologists are also in demand by employers. As our  2017 Survey of Temporary Physician Staffing Trends points out, the relocation rates for America's cardiologists is above 10 percent, meaning that doctors specializing in cardiology are exercising their power to seek out more favorable employment opportunities across the U.S. (perhaps due in no small part to the geographical differences in compensation noted above).

"In the past, hospitals, medical groups, and other facilities rarely had to worry about physician turnover," the survey authors note. "Now they do."

Experts predict that the demand for locum cardiologists may grow in the years to come — though they also acknowledge a drop in utilization from 2008 to 2013. According to MedAxiom VP Joel Sauer, this decline is believed to be caused at least in part by a lower number of cardiac interventions and a "narrowed" need for diagnostic imaging brought about by relatively recently published Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC).

However, referencing a 2012 study by the Trust for America’s Health, Sauer also notes that, when one considers the "exponential growth of cardiovascular-related diseases – even if predictions turn our significantly overstated – coupled with the ... the over 65 years demographic, the impact" on-demand for cardiology specialists "will almost certainly be upward and dramatic."

• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Longview, TX • 8 Hours/Day • Starts ASAP
• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Dubuque, IA • 24 Hours/On Call • Starts ASAP
• Locum Tenens Cardiologist Job in Chambersburg, PA • Day Shift • Starts ASAP
• Non-Invasive Cardiologist Locum Job in Stanford, CA • 12 Hours/Day • Starts ASAP
• Locum Tenens Cardiologist Job in Fort Wayne, IN • 8 Hours/Day • Starts March 7
• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Federal Way, WA • 24 Hours/On Call • Starts Feb. 19
• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Ogden, UT • 24 Hours/On Call • Starts ASAP
• Non-Invasive Cardiologist Locum Job in Wausau, WI • 8 Hours/Day • Starts March 20
• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Cape Coral, FL • 8 Hours/Day • Starts ASAP
• Non-Invasive Cardiologist Locum Job in Urbana, IL • 8 Hours/Day • Starts ASAP
• Non-Invasive Cardiologist Locum Job in Clyde, NC • 24Hours/On-Call • Starts March 6
• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Blacksburg, VA • 24 Hours/On Call • Starts ASAP
• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Reno, NV • 8 Hours/Day • Starts ASAP
• Non-Invasive Cardiologist Locum Job in Savannah, TN • 24 Hours/On Call • Starts Feb. 13
• Locum Tenens Cardiologist Job in Roseburg, OR • 8 Hours/Day • Starts ASAP
• Locum Tenens Interventional Cardiologist Job in Lima, OH • 24 Hours/On Call • Starts ASAP

If you're a cardiologist interested in learning what locum tenens opportunities are available for you, we invite you to contact a Staff Care recruiter today for more information. You can also search all available locum cardiology jobs here.