Bylaws should be carefully written to ensure that they can’t be changed casually, but also that amendments don’t face an unreasonable hurdle. This balancing act will be decided differently by various medical staffs. However the medical staff authorizes amendments to its bylaws, changes must be ultimately approved by the hospital governing body. This is a requirement established under the Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoP), which state that the bylaws must “be approved by the governing body

A new report from the Arch Collaborative says 62% of nurses reported being pleased with their overall electronic health record (EHR) experience, compared with just 16% of physicians. The group surveyed 70,000 clinicians, including 28,000 nurses.

Across settings, organizations are granting official practice authorization using delineation of privilege (DOP) forms that are incomplete, or that seem to be so, according to the AAAHC Quality Roadmap 2016. Missing signatures and empty check boxes are often telltale signs of incongruity between codified processes and current practices.

A common credentialing mistake is rushing through the process because of pressure to complete the credentialing ASAP. To this, Leslie Cox, BS, MHA, CPMSM, CPCS, senior director at Banner Health’s credentialing verification office in Phoenix says simply, “Never rush a file because someone is adding pressure. Be bold and do your job. Bring the matter to your supervisor if necessary, but never shortcut a careful review to rush a file. Allow time to carefully analyze the application and the verified documents.”

Medical toxicology is a clinical subspecialty that focuses on the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and monitoring of injury and illness from exposures to drugs and chemicals, as well as biological and radiological agents. Medical toxicologists treat people for toxic substances ingested in food or water, inhaled in the air, injected, or absorbed into the skin on contact. Poisons can be of animal, plant, metal, or bacterial origin. Medical toxicologists also provide poison control center leadership.

The Supreme Court of Utah (the “Court”) affirmed a district court’s decision that there is no exception to the non-discoverability of privileged peer review documents for information that is provided in bad faith. An exception applies only in terms of liability; that is, a person who provides peer review information in bad faith can lose his or her immunity from liability.

To carry out board-delegated responsibilities, an effective medical staff needs to control the quality of care rendered by medical staff members and other practitioners granted clinical privileges and to provide a structure whereby physicians have input in the institution’s decision-making. Effective governance requires a solid structure, organization, and strong processes. Governance functions include delineating the structures and processes for credentialing, proctoring, ongoing assessment of competency, peer review, medical staff membership, staff categories, clinical privileges, suspensions, fair hearing rights, due process, medical executive committee composition, other committees, departments (or not), and more.

Credentialing Resource Center Daily is changing its delivery days! Instead of landing in your inbox Monday through Friday, CRC Daily will arrive Monday and Wednesday. Credentialing Resource Center Digest will still be sent out on Fridays, per usual. Not to worry: You will still receive the same timely, engaging content that CRC Daily has always provided you, just in a way that doesn't clutter your inbox!

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