Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) unveiled its prestigious “40 Under 40” list last week, recognizing the achievements of rising stars in the industry. Among these extraordinary individuals is our very own Michelle Bousquet, Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness. Today, we celebrate her locum tenens staffing journey and the transformative impact she has had on us and on the locum tenens staffing industry at large.
Michelle Bousquet’s career journey is a tale of unwavering resolve. After spending time in education, she stumbled into locum tenens while exploring jobs that offered an office setting. She was immediately drawn to the purpose behind locum tenens and its impact on physicians and communities. She was hired into a training role with CHG Healthcare and worked in engagement, technical, and sales training. She was hooked, but soon realized she hungered to have a bigger role.
Soon enough, she was recruited by Mint Physicians to set up a new in-patient specialty branch in Florida. Mint allowed her to experience a start-up mentality with the backing of an established business to support her. The decision to join Mint marked a defining moment in Michelle’s career. She fell in love with the excitement, risk, and rewards that came with building a new division and yearned to experience that on a bigger scale. As Michelle tells it, “I want to learn everything and touch all the parts of running a business.” The allure of the start-up environment had ignited her entrepreneurial spirit and her quest to have a bigger impact.
A SERENDIPITOUS UNION
Michelle’s desire for more personal and professional growth resulted in an introduction to Natasha Lee, the visionary leader behind a new startup called Floyd Lee Locums that was pioneering a concierge approach to locum tenens. A year of casual connection and admiration for Natasha’s leadership and Michelle determined she would “follow her anywhere.”
As Natasha built out the beginnings of Floyd Lee Locums, she flew Michelle to Charleston and decided to do something a little different. “We went for pedicures and by the end of the afternoon, I knew we had to work together. She is a rare combination of talent, grit, and kindness. I immediately felt she was the right person to pull everything together for us,” said Natasha.
Natasha offered Michelle an opportunity to be at the helm of operations. Michelle made the bold decision to join the team. The transition to a true startup environment was both terrifying and exhilarating. As one of its earliest employees, Michelle filled multiple roles, including HR, finance, systems, credentialing, and IT. “I think I was employee number six. We were a very small shop. But nowhere else could we build something from scratch with such a groundbreaking approach to an established industry.”
The startup atmosphere breathed new life into Michelle’s innate tech-savvy spirit. Her operational and technology expertise coupled with Natasha’s vision created unprecedented growth in its first few years followed quickly by the flexibility to adapt during the pandemic.
“All of these plates are spinning and then COVID hits and it’s even a bigger job, a longer day, and still never have I worked anywhere where and I haven’t had a day where I want to look at something else. My hardest days are frustrating. But I’m bought in. They’d have to physically remove me because it’s been so exciting.”
As the company expanded, Michelle collaborated with the team to develop streamlined processes, foster a culture of excellence, and ensure seamless experiences for clients and clinicians. As the company expanded, specialized directors took charge of various departments, allowing Michelle to pass on most of her “plates” and focus on shaping the future of the company.
“My most exciting thing now is building out our future state, building out the systems, software, and technologies so that we have increased efficiencies and provide the best possible experience for our clinicians. I love making their lives easier and drawing in the champions of our industry to work with us.”
NALTO ADVOCACY
Seven years in, Michelle’s impact has now extended beyond her role at Floyd Lee Locums. In 2020, she was elected to the board of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO) for a two-year term and was re-elected in 2022 for another three years. Along with her industry colleagues, she champions the protection of physicians’ independent contractor status at the national level and promotes ethical practices within locum tenens. “It’s critical to make sure we keep a good name for locums and that facilities, patients, and communities can trust we’re all operating by the same standards.”
Michelle’s role at NALTO has highlighted the significance of open collaboration among industry players. She chairs the education and marketing committees and sits on the legislative committee. “Sitting with our direct competitors in this shared space to protect and preserve our industry has been the most inspiring, the most thrilling aspect of working with NALTO. We openly share information about what we’re seeing and strategize together.”
BUILDING OUT THE FUTURE
Michelle sees substantial growth for Floyd Lee Locums. She is determined to nurture a culture of excellence while expanding the team to tackle new challenges and initiatives. Her focus now lies in building scalable processes and harnessing cutting-edge technologies to ensure the concierge approach is evident for clients, clinicians, and our internal teams.
“I adore her and have enjoyed seeing her develop as an amazing executive. She has always been a voice I encourage and seek out,” says Natasha.
Michelle’s locum tenens staffing journey to the “40 Under 40” list exemplifies her passion and resolve. As we raise our hats to her and the other accomplished individuals on the “40 Under 40” list, we celebrate their unwavering dedication to shaping the destiny of the staffing and recruitment industry. “I’m on board with this forever. I can’t imagine not wanting to work at Floyd Lee,” Michelle gushes.