There are two types of errors that can occur in the credentialing/privileging process: information errors and decision errors. Understand their differences so that both types of errors can be avoided during the credentialing and privileging process.

Last month, two former Detroit Medical Center (DMC) cardiologists filed a lawsuit against their previous employer and its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, which is based in Dallas. The physicians, Amir Kaki, MD, and Mahir Elder, MD, were fired from DMC in October 2018 for conduct violations; however, according to the physicians, their termination occurred because they brought forth concerns about care quality and patient safety.

The verification process for advanced practice professionals (APP) mimics the process for members of the medical staff in principle and within the designated time frames. Upon receipt of an application from an APP, there are several steps the medical staff office must take. Download these sample instructions for receipt of APP application from The Medical Staff Office Manual: Tools and Techniques for Success.

Amy Niehaus, CPMSM, CPCS, MBA offers tips for how you can make the case to your organization for payer delegation.

The corrective action, summary suspension, and fair hearing processes are high-stakes proceedings and extremely stressful for all involved. Hospitals can alleviate some of this stress by ensuring their medical staff bylaws do not create extra pressure points when managing practitioner behavior and competency issues

The process of a hearing following the MEC’s recommendation for corrective action is an important right that must be spelled out in the bylaws. It is essential that this section of the bylaws is carefully thought out, drafted with precision, and kept in strict compliance with the minimum procedural process required under HCQIA so that the medical staff can benefit from the immunity protections of this act. Although the process that the medical staff offers does not need to be equivalent to that available in a court of law, it must be sufficient for courts to consider the proceeding fair.

As news of Christopher Duntsch’s botched surgeries broke and the public began to realize the catastrophic proportions of this disaster, it became clear that Duntsch would find himself in the legal arena. While people may have assumed that Duntsch would face civil actions, he also had his day in criminal court.