Ep 143: What Really Happens Behind the Scenes at AMN Schools

Ever wonder how your dream school assignment actually comes together? What does it take for a staffing agency to land a contract with a school district, and what does that mean for your career? 

In this episode of SLP Full Disclosure, host Michelle sits down with Patrick O'Connor, President of AMN's Schools Division, for an inside look at the school staffing world. With more than 15 years of experience at AMN, Pat pulls back the curtain on the RFP process, the technology transforming teletherapy, and why choosing the right agency makes all the difference for your career. 

Key Takeaways 

• The Evolution of Travel: How the staffing industry shifted from transactional to consultative over the past decade. 
• Behind the RFP: What it really takes for AMN to secure school district contracts. 
• Technology and Access: How teletherapy and AI bring services to students in underserved areas. 
• Choosing Your Agency: Why researching benefits, values, and reputation matters more than the highest pay. 

Chapters 

00:00 - Introduction and meeting Pat 

02:15 - From nursing to allied health: AMN's growth story 

04:02 - How the travel industry has changed in the last 10 years 

06:35 - Why staffing shortages happen 

07:32 - The future of travel and teletherapy technology 

11:36 - Inside the RFP and school contract process 

18:23 - Balancing vendors and job openings 

24:38 - Expanding into teachers and international staffing 

About Michelle

Meet Patrick O'Connor, President of AMN Healthcare's K-12 Schools Division. Since joining AMN in 2011, Pat has led sales, recruitment, and operational teams while championing student-centered care and school safety. His deep industry knowledge offers SLPs and new grads a rare look at how the right partner can shape a fulfilling career. 

Ready to take charge of your career journey? Subscribe to SLP Full Disclosure and share this episode with a fellow clinician today! You can also find show updates and SLP opportunities on Instagram at @amnallied. 

Transcript:

00:00:00:03 - 00:00:15:07 Hey y'all, it's Michelle with SLP. Full disclosure and welcome to our podcast today. I'm really nervous about today's interview. He told me not to be nervous. We are joined by Patrick O'Connor, who is the president of Am in Schools Division. Patrick, thank you so much for joining us today.

00:00:15:08 - 00:00:18:02 Yeah, thanks for having me, Michelle. I'm excited to be here.

00:00:18:04 - 00:00:36:00 It's not every day you get to interview boss, so I'm a little bit nervous. So we're going to be talking about really AMN as a whole and just what that process looks like on the Am inside. When we're, securing those vendors and, and all of the things. So there's a lot that goes on on the back end that we've never really talked about.

00:00:36:00 - 00:00:55:04 We've always just talked about SLPs and connecting with your recruiters. But today, I want you guys to learn a little bit more about AMN as a company. And we're going to learn about just really the travel industry. We're going to pick Pat's brain about how the industry has changed over the past 5 to 10 years, kind of what it looked like pre-COVID, post-Covid, and all of those things.

00:00:55:04 - 00:00:58:06 And so, Pat, thank you so much for joining us. I'm so excited.

00:00:58:12 - 00:01:01:09 Yeah, happy to have you. Let's kick things off here.

00:01:01:10 - 00:01:26:07 Yeah. Let me tell you guys a little bit about Pat. Pat leads the strategy growth profitability and delivery. Excellence of AMN. Health Care's K through 12 school business. Since joining AMN in July of 2011, Pat has overseen sales, recruitment and operational teams to ensure compliant, scalable execution while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction across school district partnerships nationwide.

00:01:26:12 - 00:01:51:07 Pat brings more than 15 years of healthcare staffing experience, having spent his entire career with AMN healthcare. He began as an account manager and progressed through multiple leadership roles across the medical and school staffing divisions. One of his key achievements includes leading the acquisition and successful integration of a competitor into AMN, after which the School Solutions division experienced consecutive years of growth and continued upward momentum.

00:01:51:13 - 00:02:15:20 Pat actively supports the Sandy Hook Promise in Sandy hook, Connecticut, reflecting his commitment to supporting school safety and community well-being. Thank you so much for being here. Yeah. All right. Let's get started. First of all, I'm finally glad. I'm glad that I finally got to meet you and put a face to a name. I have heard your name since I have been with Amn, and it was so exciting to meet you and have you be with us today.

00:02:15:21 - 00:02:23:23 So when did Aman begin first staffing Allied Health professionals? Because it originally started as just nursing.

00:02:24:03 - 00:02:43:16 Yeah, just just nursing and really back in the early 90s is really when that kicked off. And I think Allied ultimately became really came in after that also in the 90s. But it was it was more so a subset of what Aman was doing. Right. Just in that, that travel nurse space. And really when contract nursing started.

00:02:43:18 - 00:03:03:19 But Allied has since grown, right. Since the 30 plus years since then. Really it's it's almost neck and neck with our travel business right now, which is, which is crazy to say. And I think when you hear Allied Health like it makes up some of the school business that's here too. But really it's those acute settings, skilled nursing, outpatient ambulatory settings.

00:03:03:19 - 00:03:16:04 It's therapy. It's imaging respiratory laboratory professionals. So there's a lot that goes into to allied health. And so it's a proud to be a part of of that division with the name.

00:03:16:04 - 00:03:27:00 And that's exciting. I know I'm going to put this little plug in there. And I emailed Katie about this the other day. I have started watching The Pit and I'm sure that you've you've been made aware of this. So I was watching the my.

00:03:27:00 - 00:03:28:05 Wife and I.

00:03:28:07 - 00:03:42:20 Yes. And in the second episode of the first season, they have a patient who needs an interpreter. I can't remember if it was a language interpreter, sign language or what it was. But anyway, the little mobile device that they brought in had an AMD logo on.

00:03:43:00 - 00:03:46:14 The Green Machine. That's what it's called over there. You know.

00:03:46:16 - 00:04:02:01 I was so excited. I was like, oh my gosh. And I paused it, and I took a picture of it and sent it to everyone that I know. I was like, look, am in is on the pitch super exciting. So yes, very, you know, I am and I think because it stands for American Mobile Nursing. Correct first. All right.

00:04:02:03 - 00:04:13:06 And so they don't realize that we also staff so many allied health professionals. So how have you seen the travel industry in general change over, let's say, the past ten years?

00:04:13:09 - 00:04:40:22 I think it's been a tremendous change. From, from really, you know, you kind of went through my background and really I started off just in the, in the therapy space, to primarily really partnering with, with skilled nursing facilities, you know, through that. But I think what's really taken off is just the overall reliance of some of our health systems to use vendors to help solve their workforce challenges, which which I am and ultimately is, on there.

00:04:40:22 - 00:05:06:15 And it got to a point where they wanted to use the vendors to not only staff their positions, but also coach them through the workforce challenges from from a long term perspective. Right. So how can they solve for getting new getting new graduates, permanent solutions. And and then also, how can they use a vendor to manage all of their vendors that they're working with to really fill their vacancies and help them really service their patients?

00:05:06:15 - 00:05:36:12 And if it's a school district, right where where I'm at now right there, students to. So I think a lot of the things, especially during Covid, a lot more was asked of from the health systems and different facilities of Ammon to really come through and of, you know, other vendors in the industry. So it has become, you know, an industry where I think from when it where it was previously and now it's really more clinician led to, I think the competition has also increased quite a bit.

00:05:36:12 - 00:05:57:12 And I think we're being challenged by our health systems to to think short term as well as long term to provide cost savings. But then on the candidate side, it's even more competitive. You know, for us as a as a large player in the space candidates want, they want the transparency. They want to feel like they are, you know, part of like they're working for a boutique staffing company, right.

00:05:57:12 - 00:06:18:14 And ultimately they don't want to feel like they're just a contractor or another name, you know, that's entering in, for a 13 week assignment or school year, whatever it is to. So I think that that's where it's gone from kind of this plug and play kind of transactional model ten years ago to now. It's really, really more consultative and really more overarching from a solutions perspective, what.

00:06:18:14 - 00:06:35:03 Do you think has led to these hospitals and medical settings and schools? I know your primary, your schools. What led to them needing to reach out to vendors? Why do you think there was such a staffing shortage? Was that something that came about because of Covid, or was that something that we were seeing pre-COVID?

00:06:35:07 - 00:07:02:08 I think even pre-COVID, right. I think Covid obviously put, you know, tremendous pressure, obviously, with the need for for patient care and things like that. But even pre-COVID, you look at, you know, the unemployment rates across, you know, allied professionals, across nursing professionals. You look at, just the amount of vacancies that are out there. And then, you know, you couple that with, we have a baby boomer population that is hitting that retirement age.

00:07:02:08 - 00:07:21:02 Care is more needed more than ever across APS. So I think it's in a ways it's a perfect storm of just our professionals continuing to enter into the work space. Do these hospitals have the time to recruit this talent, retain the talent that they currently have? You know, with the with the challenge that that that they face there?

00:07:21:02 - 00:07:27:22 And then also the need for patient care continues to rise. And it's and it's only going to continue to move forward here.

00:07:28:00 - 00:07:32:13 Yeah. And that was my next question. Where do you see the travel industry going in the next ten years.

00:07:32:13 - 00:07:56:23 So I think, you know, really the embrace of, of technology has been something that has come on. And I think we're all interested to see you know, how AI is going to impact things. You may even people may not even realize it unless they're, you know, in a health system. Like I think back to an example I recently had was my my mother went through she had a hip replacement surgery and they live in the Raleigh-Durham area.

00:07:56:23 - 00:08:15:07 So she had it done it at Duke. And, you know, it was it pretty much an in and out procedure? You know, she ended up staying staying the night, but she went the next day. And I remember just the discharge process that we went through, and it really stood out to me were, you know, the last surgery I had was I had my appendix out when I was in high school.

00:08:15:13 - 00:08:42:12 But I remember the doctor coming in, talking me through it and just the technology of that experience to what my mother went through. We had a nurse come in, drop off an iPad and said, wait for someone to call you. It was Microsoft Teams and my mom's getting discharged and receiving instructions from a nurse that's sitting in another state letting her know what she needs to do over the next, you know, few days and then coming weeks as well.

00:08:42:15 - 00:09:00:07 So it was just it was just really I was kind of taking a step back, just just from being there and seeing that like, that's it. Right? She got the same information, was able to get her questions answered. Through that, that kind of virtually. But it made the process much quicker. If she had to wait for a doctor to come by or nurse to be available.

00:09:00:09 - 00:09:19:15 Right. It may have extended her stay in that hospital longer. I mean, ultimately, right. She was able to get those instructions much faster and back home, which is where she wanted to after after that. So I think that's an example of just the way the tech is going and how it's implemented. You mentioned the interpretation software that we have that's on the pit.

00:09:19:17 - 00:09:49:05 Obviously throughout schools we've seen towel therapy expand. So that's another thing where we try to be on the forefront. We partner with a lot of companies through that TV, platform that we have for for AI capability. So I think of, you know, we partner with a company nurse Hat that is built in, has an app within Intel and is able to to really supplement our offering to students that would traditionally be using AAC devices.

00:09:49:08 - 00:10:10:19 So it really gives that tool. And it's not just meant to be used by virtual candidates, but it's also a way to to leverage AI for for onsite, you know, students that are there that would traditionally use these very expensive AC devices that are clunky to carry around. Now they can pull up and have you know, image boards on their phone.

00:10:10:19 - 00:10:17:14 Their parents can use it for free. There's just the technology is just it's coming fast and furious and.

00:10:17:18 - 00:10:36:10 And it's coming faster than some than someone my age Pac can keep up with. Although sometimes I feel like. But, you know, just thinking about the kids where I work right now and working virtually in a district in Northern California that if it weren't for Amazon and staffing and the vendors that they have, these students would go without services.

00:10:36:12 - 00:10:59:18 They would not have speech and language services because of the large geographical area and just where they are located. They don't have professionals that are moving to that area. So when you start thinking about your Dallas or your Fort Worth, your, you know, New York, your big metropolitan cities, there are a lot of people that live there. And you, you kind of have a draw of people that reside in those areas and can provide those services.

00:11:00:00 - 00:11:19:04 But when you look at a district where I work, there's no one there to provide those services. And if it weren't for the virtual tell a therapist, these students in this entire district would go without services. And I think you're right. Just the ability to access those services virtually. And I use the elevator platform daily with chat. And I absolutely love it.

00:11:19:04 - 00:11:21:02 It makes my job so much easier.

00:11:21:04 - 00:11:22:12 So access I.

00:11:22:12 - 00:11:22:18 Know that.

00:11:22:19 - 00:11:36:14 Equities everything. I think that's the biggest thing. Just because someone's born or lives somewhere does not mean that they should not have access to the same type of services that are available in those, you know, larger metropolitan areas that you mentioned.

00:11:36:16 - 00:11:56:17 Right. Let's talk a little bit about what happens on the back end, what happens on your end of Am in before we ever get these contracts with these schools? I know you called it in our intro call. You called it an RFP. Yeah. Right. So how did what does that look like? Like, how are you guys going out and getting these school districts?

00:11:56:17 - 00:12:09:19 How are you finding these school districts like the one that I work with. How did how did someone like, I mean, come to find, find them in Northern California and for them to say, hey, we need help. So what is that process look like?

00:12:09:23 - 00:12:27:08 So I think there's a few different ways that we go about it. So RFP is definitely play a part of it and I'll touch on that. But but we have a direct business development team right. That sits within a and and and they're actively reaching out to school districts. You know they partner closely with our recruitment team. And we have candidates that want to work with a man.

00:12:27:08 - 00:12:46:18 And we look to to try and get them placed in and their ideal locations to. Or they may want to work virtually. Right. And we're proposing them as, as options to, to school districts, to so we go about it from a direct way. But a lot of the, the way that the sales process works in schools is the way that the funding for these positions comes in.

00:12:46:18 - 00:13:18:16 It's ultimately it's public funding. So really, you know, the property taxes that we all pay and vary state by state, but that ultimately ends up into what goes into the school's budget and the school's budget. And you may, you know, some some listeners or folks may vote, you know, on, on the budget that that comes up, you know, in their specific areas here, but it includes funds that are allocated to vendors like and then to staff these positions and these hard to fill locations or just vacancies due to the unemployment rate, where the school districts have not had success in there.

00:13:18:16 - 00:13:26:18 So any time that these school districts, right, they're using these public funds, it's really on them to use them responsibly.

00:13:26:20 - 00:13:28:23 So and appropriately and appropriately.

00:13:28:23 - 00:13:45:14 Right. Like a lot of them are, you know, in elected officials and things like that. As we get on there on the board of these, these school districts, and they want to ensure that these funds. Right. And we're talking in some some schools, it's hundreds of millions of dollars. To some it's over a billion, but they're using them appropriately.

00:13:45:18 - 00:14:13:07 So a lot of in some states it varies. But for the majority of, of large schools, because they're using public funds, they need to go out and ultimately show a competitive process. Right? They're not just, you know, partnering with this vendor because they're they they know someone that that works over here. They need to go out and basically put out an announcement of, we are looking for partners for related services, staffing within a school.

00:14:13:13 - 00:14:30:01 And it is public. So it allows the opportunity for and or any other vendor at that's out there to reply to these request for proposals. So we sending a proposal bid that outlines really our scope of services, what we're able to offer. And you know, our pricing at the end of the day.

00:14:30:03 - 00:14:33:03 Right to a number because it's all about money. It's all about the bottom.

00:14:33:03 - 00:14:58:06 I mean that's it's it's the budget they want. They want to make sure that they can, you know, secure the services. So in some of these they're very, very competitive. But a school district operates. And I think that this is way the way things have changed to kind of going back to one of the other questions is previously, I think it was much easier to onboard vendors and possibly work directly, but now just the scrutiny that is under a lot of these funds is they want to narrow their vendor network.

00:14:58:06 - 00:15:19:12 They're asking more of their vendors to be able to to come up with creative solutions. But really going through that RFP process, it typically pixel it's an annual process, but they then select their vendors based off. A lot of times it's written proposals. So they're making these connections and they're selecting these vendors based off kind of a written response to.

00:15:19:13 - 00:15:42:14 So we also, you know, we try to build the relationships, you know, behind the scenes and things like that before these these RFP come about to, to really, you know, show kind of the depth and breadth of what we're about to offer. But then they'll go through a review period and then that usually we can take anywhere from two weeks to two months, and in some cases even longer, depending upon how competitive it is or the size of the school district, too.

00:15:42:14 - 00:16:06:05 But then you get awarded or you don't. But if you if you are awarded, then you have the opportunity to work with that school directly. And those awards could last anywhere. From some cases it's three years, some cases it's five years, other cases, it's year after year. But right, there could be hundreds of responses to these RFP. And they may only select to work with five agencies or ten agencies.

00:16:06:05 - 00:16:28:01 Some school districts may say, hey, we're going to award everyone. And this is how would they choose to do business? So I think that that's important for the candidates that are listening is to understand it's a very lengthy process to get into the school districts. And it's not as easy as just, you know, one of our business development folks picking up the phone and saying, you know, hey, we see that you have a permanent position posted online.

00:16:28:07 - 00:16:44:18 You know, we have a candidate that could, you know, is interested in the area. They'd love to do, you know, a travel contract with you before they, they convert over there ultimately tied to use the vendors that are approved and went through that competitive process. So, you know, it's not as easy as if we have a candidates loyal to.

00:16:44:18 - 00:17:02:19 Amen. We may not be able to get into ABC district until they come out for RFP and vice versa. Right. If they're working with a company or if you want to work with a specific company, but you want to be in this specific area, it's not as easy as necessarily just knocking on their door and saying, hey, we have someone and we can get you on this contract like that.

00:17:02:19 - 00:17:30:01 And not to say that there's different areas that we can we can utilize and show that we went through a competitive process. It's kind of getting in the weeds here, but there's there's piggyback opportunities. So if there's the school district you're at in Northern California or an awarded vendor there, we could possibly take that award and say, you know, to another school that's let's say maybe in Southern California, we could take that award and say, hey, we went through this process, this school district, we were selected.

00:17:30:03 - 00:17:49:22 So then and purchasing departments may say, hey, that that is sufficient enough. You've been vetted by, you know, one of our peers within the state because you were awarded we can now bring you on. So there's different ways that that we can kind of circumvent that RFP process. But for the most part, that is the way in and that is the way to retain.

00:17:49:22 - 00:17:59:19 And that is the way to get kind of those those contracts with school districts. So it's it's working with pseudo government, I would call it a government adjacent. Really.

00:17:59:21 - 00:18:23:13 Yeah. And the competition is is brutal, right? I mean, how many staffing agencies do you think are out there. If you just had to guess thousands. Could you, could you even guess. Yeah. Was that's what I was thinking. Yeah. So you for our listeners, I think the point of this podcast today is to understand that Amazon is a very reputable company, and we are vetting our districts just as much as the districts are vetting us.

00:18:23:15 - 00:18:44:21 And there is a process that goes into this. So we talked on our intro call. Well, before I ask that question, let me ask you that. How are you? Excuse me, how does am balance vendors and job openings? Because you can't have a thousand jobs and 100 SLPs to fill it, and you can't have a thousand SLPs and only 100 jobs.

00:18:45:02 - 00:18:46:21 So how do you keep that balance?

00:18:46:21 - 00:19:12:10 So I think for us, it's really it's really trying to be consultative with with the schools and also right, our, our, our contracts and clients that we have across the other settings to really what's the best time and route to fill their vacancies. So we have a lot of historical information. We have market data, we have things like that that we try to share with, you know, and I'll keep it specific to the school space because it's what I'm most familiar with at the moment.

00:19:12:15 - 00:19:28:16 But we really try to coach and counsel our school districts to moving as early as possible within the full calendar year. So in January, we are talking to our our customers and even some cases earlier, the prior year about the upcoming school.

00:19:28:18 - 00:19:33:13 So I know signed my contract before Christmas this year to renew for next year.

00:19:33:13 - 00:19:59:23 And that is that is best case scenario, right? Because at the end of the day, right, our schools value. And if you go down to the parents, you go down to. Right. I've, I've talked with many, you know, on site for visiting them and throughout the years. It is the continuity. They do not want to see someone that is coming in and they have to retrain re on board and like they're working with a sensitive population and you get close to these families, you get close to these students.

00:19:59:23 - 00:20:23:09 You build a relationship, but they don't want it to be a revolving door of talent year after year. So that is, you know, their number one priority. And I think from us as an agency, it's how can we continue to ensure that our candidates feel the same way they want to return their, you know, year after year? Because that's at best case, it's easier for us to to keep someone there, just as, you know, we don't want someone who's moving around and and doing all that.

00:20:23:09 - 00:20:48:18 It's, it's it's the happy path. But at the end of the day, I mentioned we talked through the RFP process. Those usually come out earliest is March and then they really continue through August depending upon the seasonality. So in some cases some schools may say, hey, I'm I'm fiscally bound. I'm unable to make decisions until we have awarded our vendors for the upcoming school year, which may happen in May or June.

00:20:48:18 - 00:21:12:16 That puts them at a competitive disadvantage for for talent, because one, you're unable to keep your current folks on to any seasoned alcohol school contractor or school professional, they're really looking to line up where they're going to be and have their assignment or right, like you said, you signed it in December as early as possible. So they know there's no what if there's no any of that?

00:21:12:16 - 00:21:37:22 It is. It is set in stone. And, you know, things wise happens obviously. But if you have that ability to have your future secured, that is something you want to take advantage of. And I think that that's, you know, across any, any industry, right to and, and not just in life. But so for us it's how do we how do we coach and counsel our school districts to move as early as possible?

00:21:37:22 - 00:21:51:20 Because not only is that going to give them the best time, but let's say the candidate doesn't want to return or, you know, they may have folks that are going to be out on maternity leave, or maybe they're have a perm person that's going to be retiring and they don't know how they're going to backfill that vacancy, right.

00:21:51:20 - 00:22:10:23 At the very least, if you know some of these things, it gives you the longest amount of runway to right, find someone right and ensure that those students are seen and the services remain on track and there's no risk. But if we have schools that wait until the summertime, candidates want to enjoy their summer break.

00:22:11:00 - 00:22:11:15 Yeah, they don't want.

00:22:11:21 - 00:22:46:21 They don't want to be. But let's say we have someone that is going to be traveling in that amount of runway gives us the time to get them licensed in the area, credentialed for their assignment. You know, all the things that come in. Yeah. From the board finding. Yeah, exactly. So, so that's that's the other thing where if you're trying to do this between if it's in June or July and that start date, typically it's, you know, rolling throughout August and a little bit later in the northeast, but then you're crunched for time, and your supply pool goes from very large to very small within a matter of months.

00:22:46:21 - 00:23:06:12 So that's really how we try to be forward thinking, proactive with our schools. And like I said, we use all the historical data and information, to really give them a better picture of how they can be successful. So if there's a thousand vacancies and there's only 100 candidates, you know, pay may be a factor, right? How where do their rates stack up within the market.

00:23:06:12 - 00:23:29:06 And they can use that information to go to their board. Go to the decision makers and powers up and say, hey, if this is we need to have this position filled. This is what other school districts in our area or state or nationwide are offering. We're nowhere near that. Or maybe it's it's vice versa, right? And we can go to them and say you can actually get a candidate, we can provide cost savings, etc..

00:23:29:06 - 00:23:36:20 So there's there's a number of ways that we try to like I said, be as consultative as we can and really partner with our schools and our clients at A&M. Right.

00:23:37:01 - 00:23:55:21 And I can only speak for my experience with Amnh. It has been I couldn't imagine working for and I've said this before, I couldn't imagine working for another company other than a man. It has been. And people ask me, how did you find a man? And it was just luck of the draw. I just got lucky with what I think is the best company and the best the best.

00:23:55:23 - 00:24:16:02 I would love to hear. Yeah, I mean, I've been here. You mentioned it like 15 years early. Really? First job at a at a school. And I've stuck around right through some different acquisitions, all that. And and for me it's really it's the people. It's the passion for what we do every day in the circle of student personalization.

00:24:16:04 - 00:24:16:21 It's incredible.

00:24:16:23 - 00:24:38:13 Yeah. It's it's knowing that I think it's that initial relationship with your recruiter. But then also just that it's a feeling, like you said earlier, you said something a boutique agency. Yeah. And I feel like that's what I am and is. But we are a very large, very large staffing agency. But it's very personal. And your recruiter knows you, you know your recruiter and you know, members on your team.

00:24:38:16 - 00:24:54:20 You know, that term I love I am and I've said it before, and I'm not just saying that because you are who you are. So let's talk about I know we mentioned this in our intro call, and I, I'm going to put you on the spot here about because my daughter is a teacher and I asked you about staffing teachers.

00:24:54:20 - 00:25:14:18 That's something that we don't currently do. And I also asked you about the possibility of staffing internationally. So let's talk about if we were to start staffing teachers. What is that process? How hard is it to just to pull in another area of professionalism here? And because we do I mean, we do everything right now in the allied health and in the medical setting.

00:25:14:22 - 00:25:17:03 So I think, you know, are we going to be able to get my daughter a job?

00:25:17:06 - 00:25:40:22 So I think I am and like we're always looking you know, you look across right. Allied nursing. We talked about the interpretation. We're always looking for growth, which is another thing that I think is just just tremendous about the company. So specifically within schools, there's definitely a lot of a lot of avenues that we can get into. And I think, you know, we've only been really kind of in the school space for the past six years, you know, since that that acquisition, that, that we called out.

00:25:40:22 - 00:26:03:07 But, you know, we've grown just really almost 40%, our total total market share within that, within that time frame. And that's really been across. Right. Therapy, some school psychology behavioral health scenario that continues to be a focus for us as well with the with the demand there. But there's also you mentioned there's general teaching, substitute teaching. There's some special.

00:26:03:07 - 00:26:03:10 Ed.

00:26:03:10 - 00:26:05:06 Teachers, special ed teachers.

00:26:05:08 - 00:26:06:15 That's where I see a big need.

00:26:06:16 - 00:26:23:02 And I think, you know, we we definitely keep our finger on the pulse as far as like what is the market for that. What is the opportunity. What is the market look like from a growth perspective over the next ten years? But for us, it's right. It's not our wheelhouse. So we need to do, you know, a lot of research.

00:26:23:02 - 00:26:44:16 We have a regulatory team that looks through like what would it take to staff these individuals from a licensed standpoint? How do we build it out in our systems? How do we track, you know, the different certifications and things like that? You know, we're not accustomed to. And then I think, you know, and then what's needed within a school because that's different then what's needed, you know, across the health system also.

00:26:44:16 - 00:26:54:18 And I think that that also translates into the international space, you know, we, we, we, we do that in the nursing world today. But there's a lot of logistics that go behind it.

00:26:54:18 - 00:26:57:07 And I'm not seeing a lot of legal issues. I would imagine.

00:26:57:07 - 00:27:18:07 Eagles visas and a lot of balls in the air that, you know, our division over there really juggles very, very nicely. And, you know, it's something that it could be a challenge. Right. Will school districts be acceptable to foreign trained. Right. That's something that we haven't seen. We haven't but would love to offer it as a possible solution.

00:27:18:12 - 00:27:50:14 But really these things need to be researched, vetted and ultimately right there needs to be that opportunity. But if you ask me, I would want to be have my hands in every possible right to offer, offer solutions to to schools, whether they're in a remote area or metropolitan area. So there's just it's just more so it's not as easy as just, you know, just putting down and responding to an RFP and getting awarded to we really have to be able to deliver right on what we're proposing to the clients as well as the candidates that we're going to go out and partner with as well.

00:27:50:17 - 00:28:09:13 Yeah. All right, Pat, it's been great. I could probably ask you 100 more questions, but I'm not going to do that. So why do you think it is important for SLPs who are listening to this podcast? Because our primary audience is new grads, the SLP graduate students, because they are all into podcasts, those that are listening that are interested in travel.

00:28:09:15 - 00:28:22:15 Why is it important for them to really research the company? Because like you said, there are thousands of staffing agencies out there. Why should they really put forth that effort on the front end to research the company that they're going to be working for?

00:28:22:15 - 00:28:42:00 I think the biggest thing is really understanding what the company is able to offer. And a lot of that, you know, a lot of you said it before, your relationship with your recruiter means a lot, right? And being loyal to someone who is an advocate for you, who ultimately becomes a friend, right, and someone that you trust to kind of guide you through your career.

00:28:42:00 - 00:29:05:13 But really look at what the agency that at the at their foundation is able to offer. I would I would look at their experience in the industry. I would look at their total benefits package, you know, comparatively, because just because you see a job posting that says, you know, the pay is, is astronomical, does not mean that that is going to be the best experience for you.

00:29:05:13 - 00:29:28:12 Right? And I think that that's where people get lost in there. But the benefits that we, you know, I all speak for and, you know, we offer our candidates, we have, you know, reimbursements annually, things of that nature and really understanding. Right. If if your goal is to work remotely. Right. Like that is something that we can do if your goal is to work in various settings.

00:29:28:12 - 00:29:51:10 You know, we talked about, you know, we mentioned the SLPs that are listening, right? You could work in a school district, you can work in a hospital. You can work in a pediatric clinic, you can work in a nursing home. There's there's that flexibility where you can really get a lot of experience under your belt quickly. And, you know, they go through through clinical rotations and things like that before, before they come out.

00:29:51:10 - 00:30:21:19 But it's one of those where where you can really continue that on a contract perspective and see the world, right. You see different settings and ultimately find out where you want to be. To. So I think like that is an area where if there's any questions or any doubts, even a just about travel or things like, I would just encourage anyone to reach out and talk to one of our recruiters who could, you know, obviously, you know, guide them through what I am and can offer in our contracts, but I think they can also tell them about the industry and what they've seen.

00:30:21:19 - 00:30:29:02 We have a tremendous tenured group that can really guide them and be that Sherpa for them, through this, this industry.

00:30:29:02 - 00:30:49:01 Yeah, because I believe Ammon is the best I truly do. And I think that also reaching out to a recruiter to find out more about what Ammon is as a company and what they offer, like you said, but also get asking the recruiter to connect you with clinicians like myself who have been working for Ammon. I've been through several contracts with Ammon.

00:30:49:01 - 00:31:09:00 I was on a travel contract. Now I'm doing virtual talking to those clinicians. We have Claudia that did her clinical fellowship. Yeah, she would be an amazing source of information for anyone listening. So I think just researching the company that you're going to be working for, like Pat said, finding out what that benefits package is, but also finding out who that company is at its core, you know.

00:31:09:01 - 00:31:10:07 Yeah. And just knowing, does it.

00:31:10:07 - 00:31:14:19 Align with you with the values and where you want to be? I think that that is.

00:31:14:19 - 00:31:21:03 That is yeah. Pat. Thank you so much for joining us today. It has been amazing. And I'm so glad I finally get to put a face to your name and meet you.

00:31:21:05 - 00:31:22:10 Yeah, but.

00:31:22:12 - 00:31:44:13 Maybe we will have you back on the podcast soon. But for today, thank you guys for joining and we'll talk to you all soon. Thank you for tuning in to SLP. Full disclosure you can learn more about this episode and our show on our website at AMN healthcare.com. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast platform.

00:31:44:15 - 00:31:55:02 You can also find show updates and SLP opportunities on our Instagram at Am an ally. Special thanks to AMN healthcare for making this show possible. See y'all next time!