It is very important for the medical staff to be clear on what, if any, impact an employment decision has on a physician’s clinical privileges. Effective communication between HR, administration, and the medical staff (particularly the medical staff president and MSP) is crucial, the experts say.

Earlier this year there was some confusion over CMS’ texting policies. The agency later confirmed that providers are allowed to text patient health information (PHI) using a secure messaging app. However, texting medical orders is still forbidden. Chris Apgar, CISSP, is president and CEO of Apgar & Associates and former HIPAA compliance officer for Providence Health Plans. He spoke with CRCJ about texting policies and compliance.

Inappropriate communication among physicians and other hospital staff can take many forms—from verbal outbursts and threats to failing to complete medical records or notes in a timely fashion. Whether overt or subtle, these behaviors undermine team interactions, creating an uncomfortable, nonproductive work environment. Such an environment can lead to medical errors, poor patient satisfaction, and gaps in staffing. In September 2016, The Joint Commission reissued a Sentinel Event Alert stating that “behaviors that undermine a culture of safety” should not be tolerated.

More medical staffs are implementing multispecialty peer review committees in the hopes of having one committee that can objectively review and assess the work of colleagues. Although there may be initial cultural resistance to this approach, having a multispecialty committee can eliminate issues such as only having one physician in a specialty or developing non-specialty-specific indicators.

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The 2019 Credentialing Resource Center Symposium will be held February 26-28 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. With so many credentialing, privileging, and medical staff leadership topics to cover, the Symposium has been expanded to 2.5 days and will feature a new provider enrollment track. Stay tuned as we announce our speakers and agenda, but in the meantime, mark your calendars!