Before sending peer review information, a medical staff should first look at state laws to ensure it has a mechanism in place to make disclosures in a confidential manner, says Joanne Hopkins, Esq., an attorney at law based in Austin, Texas.

For example, Texas allows committee-to-committee disclosures, so for medical staffs in that state, it's a best practice to include language in the response letter referencing the section of the Texas statute that allows those disclosures without waiving any privileges.

When it comes to digital adoption, the world of healthcare credentialing is catching on. What was once a predominantly paper-based process is now undergoing a shift toward automation.

CRC members can peruse all of the online articles from the July 2017 issues of CRCJ and MSB—as well as full-color PDFs—here:

• CRCJ
• MSB

To view the relevant full-issue PDF, select "DOWNLOAD FULL ISSUE" at the top of the page.

Cesarean section (C-section) is the surgical delivery of a baby through incisions in a woman’s abdomen and uterus. C-sections may be elective, but more often are performed because of potential health risks to the mother or child. A C-section is considered major abdominal surgery and is typically performed by a physician who is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) or by a family physician who has received enhanced training in obstetrics through an extended residency, an obstetrics fellowship, and/or a preceptorship with a physician who has cesarean privileges. Despite lingering inconsistencies regarding the privileging of family medicine physicians for cesarean deliveries, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) argues that “provision of cesarean delivery by well-trained family physicians augments maternity care services available to women or, in some cases, provides a service that would not otherwise be available.”

Platinum Plus members receive exclusive access to the Credentialing Resource Center’s (CRC) evolving e-library of best-selling medical staff, credentialing, privileging, and peer review titles. Click here to check out our latest addition to the collection, Credentialing for Managed Care: Compliant Processes for Health Plans and Delegated Entities, and here to peruse the entire library.

The 2018 CRC Symposium Case Study Competition and the 2018 CRC Achievement Awards are two application-based contests that showcase excellence in the medical staff services and leadership fields. Winners, who will be selected by a panel of esteemed industry experts, will receive free admission to and recognition at the 2018 CRC Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

See today's Product Spotlight to hear from a past winner about why you should apply!

The 2018 CRC Symposium Case Study Competition and the 2018 CRC Achievement Awards are two application-based contests that showcase excellence in the medical staff services and leadership fields. Winners, who will be selected by a panel of esteemed industry experts, will receive free admission to and recognition at the 2018 CRC Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here's why you should apply, according to last year's Medical Staff Leader of the Year.