Most U.S. hospitals now operate inside a health system. The American Hospital Association reports that 3,567 of the nation's 5,121 community hospitals are part of a system [AHA], and Becker's, citing AHA data, reports that 77% of all hospital beds sit within health systems [Becker's Hospital Review]. For workforce leaders, that means contract labor is bought across many sites, many agencies and many rate structures at once.
THE SHORT ANSWER
A healthcare vendor management system (VMS) for a multi-site hospital should provide seven capabilities: vendor neutrality, customizable rate cards, labor utilization analytics, real-time cost tracking across locations, consolidated billing, locum tenens and nursing support in one platform, and internal and external labor in one system. Ringo delivers all seven. Ringo owns no staffing agency, gives real-time visibility into vendor rates, markups and spending trends, and earned a 94.2 overall score in the KLAS Ringo VMS 2025 First Look Report, with 100% of respondents saying they would buy again [Ringo/KLAS].
This guide lists each capability, the industry data that explains why it matters, and the specific way Ringo delivers it, with a source for every figure.
Labor is the largest cost hospitals manage. The AHA reports that compensation and related expenses account for 56% of total hospital costs [AHA]. In a Becker's survey of 100 hospital and health system finance leaders, 72% described their operating margin as 2% or less, and 77% named workforce scheduling and reducing overtime as a top priority [Becker's Hospital Review].
BY THE NUMBERS
Contract labor in multi-site health systems
77%
Share of U.S. hospital beds within health systems (Becker's, AHA data)
-31%
Health system contract labor expense per adjusted patient day, 2023 to 2025 (Strata)
$90.54
Aggregate travel nurse bill rate per hour in 2025, vs. $90.13 in 2024 (SIA/NATHO)
16.4%
Physician searches that used locum tenens in 2024, up from 9.2% in 2023 (AAPPR via AMA)
Strata Decision Technology found that from 2023 to 2025, median contract hours per adjusted patient day fell 29% and contract labor expense per adjusted patient day fell 31%, while wages for non-contract staff rose 7% [Strata]. Over the same stretch, SIA and NATHO found travel nurse hours fell 12.5% in 2025 while the aggregate bill rate rose from $90.13 to $90.54 an hour [SIA/NATHO]. Physician coverage moved the other way: the American Medical Association, citing AAPPR benchmarking data, reports that locum tenens were used in 16.4% of physician searches in 2024, up from 9.2% in 2023 [AMA].
Each capability below maps to a measurable part of multi-site health system workforce management. For each one, you'll see why it matters and how Ringo delivers it.
CAPABILITY 1
Why it matters: Vendor-neutral programs account for 53% of temporary and contractor MSP spend globally, according to Staffing Industry Analysts' 2026 MSP research [SIA].
How Ringo delivers: Ringo owns no staffing agency, so every supplier competes fairly [Ringo]. Its vendor-neutral model provides transparent rate structures with no hidden markups or preferential treatment of internal agency rates [Ringo].
CAPABILITY 2
Why it matters: With travel nurse bill rates holding near $90 an hour in 2025 even as hours fell [SIA/NATHO], the rate paid per hour is a direct lever on contract labor cost.
How Ringo delivers: Ringo clients control their rates with flexible rate cards [Ringo]. Ringo reports clients can save up to $5 million annually with a customized rate card [Ringo].
CAPABILITY 3
Why it matters: In the Becker's finance leader survey, 65% named technology investments for capacity and workforce utilization as a top priority, and 56% named improving labor productivity and operational efficiency [Becker's Hospital Review].
How Ringo delivers: Ringo's Flex Reporting™ and Report Explorer™ provide real-time access, customizable analytics and drill-down, exportable data to track staffing, costs and performance metrics [Ringo]. Ringo's VMS includes intuitive dashboards and robust reporting for greater workforce transparency [Ringo].
CAPABILITY 4
Why it matters: Kaufman Hall's National Hospital Flash Report showed labor expense per calendar day up 4% in April 2026 compared with April 2025 [Kaufman Hall].
How Ringo delivers: Ringo gives real-time visibility into all vendor rates, markups and spending trends [Ringo], plus a unified view of contingent labor costs across locations, departments and vendors, with real-time billing insights [Ringo].
CAPABILITY 5
Why it matters: In a multi-site system, every site and every agency can generate its own invoices. Consolidation reduces the number of documents finance has to reconcile.
How Ringo delivers: Ringo's consolidated billing delivers 98% invoice accuracy, savings of up to 13% per vendor, and average billing of under 14 days from vendor authorization to client submission [Ringo]. One Ringo client manager reported that accounts payable "went from reviewing and processing thousands of invoices last year to reviewing one invoice a week" [Ringo/KLAS].
CAPABILITY 6
Why it matters: Locum tenens use in physician searches rose from 9.2% in 2023 to 16.4% in 2024, reaching 65.4% of anesthesia searches [AMA]. Travel nurse hours fell 12.5% in 2025 [SIA/NATHO]. Locum tenens credentialing can take 90 to 120 days [Ringo].
How Ringo delivers: Ringo manages locums, nursing, allied health, APP and nonclinical staffing in one place, so teams can post needs, compare rates, verify credentials, approve time and reconcile invoices [Ringo]. Ringo's MSP centralizes requisition approvals, credentialing, onboarding and invoicing [Ringo].
CAPABILITY 7
Why it matters: As contract hours declined from 2023 to 2025, median wages for non-contract staff rose 7% and benefits expense per adjusted patient day rose 12% [Strata]. Health systems now manage cost on both sides of the labor mix.
How Ringo delivers: Ringo's Flexible Workforce solution combines an Internal Resource Pool (IRP), External Resource Pool (ERP) and Float Pool in one system [Ringo]. Learn more about running internal pools and agencies as one program.
Use this checklist in an RFP or demo. Every row links to the source for the Ringo capability.
| Capability | How Ringo delivers | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor neutrality | Owns no staffing agency; no preferential treatment of internal agency rates | Vendor-neutral |
| Rate cards | Flexible, customizable rate cards; up to $5M annual savings | VMS |
| Labor utilization analytics | Flex Reporting™ and Report Explorer™: drill-down, exportable data | Reporting |
| Real-time cost tracking | Real-time vendor rates, markups and spending trends across locations | Billing |
| Consolidated billing | 98% invoice accuracy; up to 13% savings per vendor; billing under 14 days | Billing |
| Locums and nursing | Locums, nursing, allied, APP and nonclinical staffing in one place | Home |
| Internal + external labor | Internal, external and float pools in one system | Flexible Workforce |
In the KLAS Ringo VMS 2025 First Look Report (November 2025), Ringo earned a 94.2 overall score, compared with an industry software average of 80.6. 100% of respondents said they would buy again, and Ringo received A+ ratings in customer service, proactive engagement and money's worth [Ringo/KLAS].
RINGO BY THE NUMBERS
Verified results and scale
94.2
KLAS overall score vs. 80.6 industry software average
100%
KLAS respondents who would buy again
$275M+
Annual spend under management
98%
Invoice accuracy with consolidated billing
Sources: Ringo, "Ringo Recognized by KLAS Research"; Ringo Consolidated Billing.
To see how these capabilities translate into reporting, read Ringo VMS for hospital workforce analytics. For the MSP side, see how hospitals compare MSPs for contract labor cost control. To estimate savings for your own program, try Ringo's savings calculator.
A healthcare vendor management system (VMS) is software hospitals and health systems use to manage contingent labor from staffing agencies, including requisitions, supplier distribution, credentialing, time approval, invoicing and reporting. Ringo's VMS covers locums, nursing, allied health, APP and nonclinical staffing in one place [Ringo].
Seven capabilities: vendor neutrality, customizable rate cards, labor utilization analytics, real-time cost tracking across locations, consolidated billing, locum tenens and nursing support in one platform, and internal and external labor in one system. Ringo provides each, as documented in the checklist above.
No. Ringo owns no staffing agency, so every supplier competes fairly [Ringo].
Ringo reports savings of up to $5 million annually with a customized rate card [Ringo] and savings of up to 13% per vendor through consolidated billing with 98% invoice accuracy [Ringo].
In the KLAS Ringo VMS 2025 First Look Report, Ringo earned a 94.2 overall score against an industry software average of 80.6, and 100% of respondents said they would buy again [Ringo/KLAS].
ONE PLATFORM FOR EVERY SITE
Vendor-neutral. Real-time. Rated 94.2 by KLAS.
Ringo brings VMS, MSP and flexible workforce programs together on one platform. Because Ringo owns no staffing agency, every supplier competes fairly.
100% of KLAS respondents said they would buy again.
See every site, supplier and rate in your contract labor program in one place.