CMS strengthens guidance on EMTALA and emergency abortions

CMS is again reminding hospitals of their obligations under federal law to help pregnant women in medical emergencies, but with the added emphasis that care must be offered “irrespective of any state laws or mandates that apply to specific procedures.” The reminder comes more than two weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision legalizing abortion nationwide. The memo also includes a note that hospitals and physicians may face civil financial penalty for denying patients emergency care.

It’s important to remind those outside the profession of all the important work MSPs do every day. For example, while credentialing and privileging might be considered job one for MSPs, the medical staff services department is more involved in quality and peer review processes than ever before.

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It seems like a paradox: As credentialing becomes more complex, MSPs are asked to credential practitioners even faster. Yet this is the case in most hospitals and health systems across the country. So how can MSPs reduce the number of days to process a credentialing file (also known as application turnaround time) while not rushing through the process and letting problem practitioners slip through the cracks? One way is to automate steps of their credentialing process.

Ethical behavior refers to the choices you make when no one else is looking, whether at home, in public, or in the practice setting. Unfortunately, there is no black-and-white way to define what behavior is considered ethical or unethical. Ethical behavior hinges on multiple factors, including context, culture, professional standards, moral guidelines, family backgrounds and values, and religious beliefs. By nature, ethics are subjective: What may appear ethical to you may not be considered ethical to someone else.