Wapiti Medical Staffing

What Wapiti Medical Staffing does

Wapiti Medical Staffing is a privately held healthcare locum tenens staffing agency founded in 1996 by physician Dr. Brad McDonald and headquartered in Milbank, South Dakota, with additional offices in Cedar Falls, Iowa and Huron, South Dakota. The company exclusively serves rural healthcare facilities across the United States, placing physicians (MD/DO), physician assistants (PA), nurse practitioners (NP), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) into temporary, per diem, block shift, permanent, and 24/7 guaranteed coverage assignments across emergency, clinic, hospitalist, and anesthesia settings. The company has grown via two acquisitions—Siouxland Staffing Services in 2012 and Emergency Practice Associates in 2018—and was led by CEO Kim Hermann as it marked its 30th anniversary in January 2026.

The core technology of Wapiti Medical Staffing is a relationship-driven operating model rather than a proprietary platform. The company uses an external staffing management portal (ER Staff) for provider scheduling, availability submission, and credentialing coordination, and operates a public-facing job portal, interactive job map, and self-service tools for providers. No proprietary AI or algorithmic matching technology is disclosed. Differentiated offerings include a Pay for Performance (P4P) model that ties provider compensation to facility outcomes, alongside credentialing, continuing education, quality assurance, and well-being support for placed providers. Marketing operates primarily through content (blog, SEO, locum and facility guides), case studies and testimonials, NRHA conference participation, and referral programs on both the facility and provider sides.

Wapiti generates revenue through professional-services placement fees on locum tenens assignments, with rates negotiated per assignment based on specialty, duration, location, and facility requirements. Daily or per-shift rates bundle provider compensation, malpractice insurance, travel, and housing into a single bill rate, supplemented by permanent placement fees and the differentiated P4P pricing construct. Customers are mid-market rural hospitals and critical access hospitals; named relationships include numerous NRHA Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals across South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Kansas. The company reports industry-leading satisfaction metrics, including a client NPS of 90.2% versus an industry average of 28%, a candidate NPS of 73.5% versus an 18% benchmark, and 92% facility culture-fit satisfaction, alongside eight consecutive years of ClearlyRated Best of Staffing Diamond Awards (as of 2022).

Name

Wapiti Medical Staffing

Legal name

Wapiti Medical Staffing

Website

https://wapitimedical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wapiti Medical Staffing is a privately held, rural-focused healthcare locum tenens agency founded in 1996 in Milbank, South Dakota, placing physicians, PAs, NPs, and CRNAs in temporary and permanent assignments at rural hospitals and critical access hospitals across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Staffing Services

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Clinical & Allied Health Staffing (BPACADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare Clinical Direct Hire (Nursing/Allied/Physicians) (BPACAFAH), Healthcare Non-Clinical Temp Staffing (BPACACAO)

Keywords

• Locum tenens staffing
• Rural healthcare staffing
• Physician placement services
• Medical credentialing support
• Healthcare provider recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Milbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Locum Tenens Staffing Placement Fees: Wapiti Medical Staffing earns revenue by placing physicians (MD/DO), physician assistants (PA), nurse practitioners (NP), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) in temporary locum tenens assignments at rural healthcare facilities. Fees are based on daily or per-shift rates, which include provider compensation, malpractice insurance, travel, and housing. The company also offers permanent placement services, 24/7 guaranteed coverage, block shifts, and per diem staffing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wapiti Medical Staffing is a healthcare recruiting and locum tenens staffing agency that places physicians (MD/DO), physician assistants (PA), nurse practitioners (NP), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) into temporary, per diem, block shift, and permanent assignments at rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, and clinics across the United States. The agency also provides guaranteed 24/7 facility coverage, hospital and third-party payer credentialing coordination, and continuing education access for placed providers.

Product overview

Wapiti Medical Staffing is a healthcare recruiting and locum tenens staffing agency that provides a unified portfolio of staffing solutions for rural healthcare facilities. The core offerings center on Locum Tenens staffing and Guaranteed 24/7 Coverage services, supplemented by flexible staffing models including Per Diem and Block Shifts. The company places healthcare providers including Physicians (MD/DO), Physician Assistants (PA), Nurse Practitioners (NP), and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) across Emergency Room, Clinic, Hospitalist, and Anesthesia settings. Additional value-added services include hospital and third-party payer credentialing support, continuing education access, and a Pay for Performance (P4P) model that rewards provider performance. Founded in 1996, the company expanded through acquisitions including Siouxland Staffing Services (2012) and Emergency Practice Associates (2018).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Locum Tenens Staffing Temporary healthcare provider staffing service placing physicians (MD/DO), physician assistants (PA), nurse practitioners (NP), and CRNAs in rural healthcare facilities across the United States on a contract basis, covering Emergency Room, Clinic, Hospitalist, and Anesthesia settings.
• Guaranteed 24/7 Coverage Round-the-clock staffing solution ensuring continuous healthcare provider coverage for rural healthcare facilities at all times, addressing chronic coverage gaps in underserved areas.
• Per Diem Staffing As-needed staffing model allowing rural healthcare facilities to bring in healthcare professionals on a short-term, day-by-day basis without long-term commitments.
• Block Shifts Scheduled staffing model where healthcare providers commit to working consecutive days or weeks at a facility, ensuring consistent coverage during high-demand periods.
• Permanent Placement Staffing Permanent placement service placing providers into long-term roles at rural healthcare facilities.
• Pay for Performance (P4P) Model Performance-based staffing arrangement that rewards exceptional provider performance, driving results, enhancing care quality, and improving patient satisfaction scores for rural hospitals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of facilities report Wapiti consistently presents candidates who align with their team culture
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Food Bank of IowaminorOthers · 1 January 2022Wapiti providers donated to the Food Bank of Iowa through the company's holiday giving program. The Food Bank of Iowa moves more than 1.5 million pounds of food per month, and every dollar donated provides four meals.
• Feeding South DakotaminorOthers · 1 January 2022Wapiti providers donated to Feeding South Dakota through the company's holiday giving program. Feeding South Dakota assists approximately 21,000 South Dakotans per week with temporary food assistance, and every dollar donated can feed a family of four.
• Emergency Practice AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Acquired in 2018, Emergency Practice Associates further expanded Wapiti's footprint across the Midwest and Great Plains, reinforcing its commitment to rural healthcare staffing and emergency medicine coverage.
• Siouxland Staffing ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Acquired in 2012, Siouxland Staffing Services expanded Wapiti's staffing support for nurse practitioners and physician assistants, strengthening the company's presence in the Midwest and broadening its APP provider network.
• National Rural Health Association (NRHA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWapiti collaborates with the National Rural Health Association and participates in NRHA events, including the Critical Access Hospital Conference. Wapiti works with NRHA-recognized Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals and supports the organization's mission.
• NALTO (National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWapiti republishes content from NALTO's website with permission, demonstrating alignment with industry standards and participation in the locum tenens staffing ecosystem.
• MagMutual (Malpractice Insurance Carrier)minorOthersMagMutual is Wapiti Medical Staffing's malpractice insurance carrier. Wapiti republishes content from the MagMutual Learning Center and works with MagMutual on risk management, credentialing, and provider well-being resources.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CHG Healthcare: Parent of Weatherby Healthcare and CompHealth, CHG is the largest U.S. locum tenens staffing firm with broad specialty coverage. Comparable to Wapiti because it competes for the same physician and APP placements, but operates at national scale and is not specialized in rural.
• Aya Healthcare: Large healthcare staffing firm with locum tenens, travel nursing, and allied lines. Comparable to Wapiti as a clinical healthcare staffing competitor, though Aya is heavily concentrated in travel nursing.
• AMN Healthcare: Large publicly traded healthcare staffing firm with locum tenens, travel nursing, and allied health lines. Comparable to Wapiti as a healthcare staffing competitor for clinical providers, but with much broader service portfolio and geography.

Direct peers

• CompHealth: One of the largest U.S. locum tenens and permanent placement staffing firms for physicians, PAs, and NPs. Directly comparable to Wapiti in core service offering (physician/APP locum tenens), though CompHealth is significantly larger and serves all geographies.
• Weatherby Healthcare: Locum tenens staffing firm placing physicians across a wide range of specialties and settings. Directly comparable to Wapiti as a locum tenens physician placement agency, though Wapiti's rural focus is more specialized.
• LocumTenens.com: Specialized locum tenens staffing agency placing physicians, CRNAs, NPs, and PAs. Directly comparable to Wapiti in the same provider types and assignment model, with overlapping rural and emergency medicine coverage.
• Staff Care: Locum tenens and temporary healthcare staffing division of AMN Healthcare focused on physicians and advanced practitioners. Comparable to Wapiti's core physician/APP staffing model.
• Jackson & Coker: Locum tenens physician and advanced practice staffing firm serving healthcare facilities nationwide. Directly comparable to Wapiti's locum tenens placement model for physicians and APPs.
• Barton Associates: Locum tenens staffing firm placing physicians, NPs, PAs, and CRNAs nationwide with a focus on underserved and rural areas. Highly comparable to Wapiti in provider mix and rural healthcare focus.

Others

• Rural Health Association: National Rural Health Association is the primary industry association Wapiti partners with for rural healthcare conferences and advocacy. Relevant as an ecosystem participant, not a direct staffing competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wapitimedical
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqWIcQ6mD1-q6a7SqrK1V5g
• Facebookfacebook.com/WapitiMedical
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wapiti-medical-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wapiti Medical Staffing