Staffing Calculator

What One Unfilled Shift Can Cost

Change the inputs to match your hospital. The ledger recalculates as you type.

The shift
hrs
%
Your economics
$
%
$
Patients who don't come back
%
$
Staff who absorb the gap
$
$
$

Diversion and lost care

$10,706
  • 9.0 visits rerouted or walked$5,400
  • 1.2 admissions foregone$5,306

Patients who don't come back

$16,200
  • 1.8 patients lost to another hospital$3,240 / yr
  • Counted over 5 years$16,200

Staff who absorb the gap

$5,944
  • Crisis-rate premium, 12 hrs$936
  • Turnover, this shift's share$5,008
Cost of one unfilled shift $32,849

Unfilled versus staffed on purpose

Leaving it uncovered$32,849
Covering it at the crisis rate$3,600

The unfilled shift costs 9.1x what it would have cost to staff it. It just bills in installments, to three different departments, over several years.

At 12 uncovered shifts a year, the annual exposure is $394,188
Schedule a meeting

Where the fixed assumptions come from. The 13.1% ED admission rate is HFMA, 2025. The $2,093 excess inpatient day is Vizient, 2026, across 168 hospitals in 39 states. The $60,090 replacement cost is 2026 NSI data reported by Becker's. Hourly rates come from the 2026 Barton Associates emergency medicine and hospitalist salary reports.

Every input above is editable because these numbers are hospital-specific. This tool estimates exposure for planning conversations; it is not an audited financial projection.

Local relationships. Straightforward staffing. Focus on patient care.

Reach out today and partner with us to grow your impact.

ER Physician Culture Fit

Fill out the form below to get the PDF.

Contact Information

Ultimate guide to becoming a part-time emergency medicine physician

Fill out the form below to get the PDF.

Contact Information

2026 Physician Salary Guide

Fill out the form below to download the PDF.

Contact Information