We are hosed.
JJ is probably responding to a real problem on a national healthcare level and working within the domain that he is familiar with. Yes, this solution does not help present or future radoncs. JJ should own this. The narrative that radoncs are overpaid is alive and well.
Locums docs (and travel nurses and travel RTTs) are horrendous value for community hospitals. This issue alone has contributed to solvency issues for multiple community places.
Now, we know that radonc typically makes money for the hospital and that we are not pulling down medonc locums rates (not close), but it doesn't matter. If you can sell value (whatever the eff that is, value does include living in a community, commitment to patients and face to face time, but those are not easily commoditized in markets (yes capitalism)) you will have buyers.
Community hospitals will do
stroke care remotely.
Our problem is of course compounded (majorly) by consolidation and in particular, academic medicine losing track of its mission (which is not to provide care for everyone). Not only does being a "private practice" doc no longer mean what it used to, being an academic doc definitely doesn't mean the same. Largely, both will be employed community docs, with the smaller your institution, the greater the value you provide.
Eventually, the best we can hope for is this:
By Karsten Vrangbæk, University of Copenhagen In Denmark’s universal, decentralized health system, the national government provides block grants from tax revenues to the regions and municipalities, which deliver health services. All residents are entitled to publicly financed care, including...
www.commonwealthfund.org
I know, not a popular take, but you can only let consolidation go so far before you are better off giving block grants to small regions.