For better or worse, the number of physicians employed by hospitals or health systems is skyrocketing.  Depending on the culture of your organization, employed physicians may be welcomed as a valuable asset consisting of capable individuals able to help the medical staff carry out its board-delegated responsibilities, or they may be viewed with suspicion and mistrust by nonemployed physicians who now feel their chosen career path to be threatened and unsecure. There are several forces driving this change for physicians and hospitals.

At the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the burnout rate in the internal medicine division is approximately 13%, which is significantly lower than the burnout rate in other University of Alabama divisions. Researchers believe this may be a direct result of increased autonomy and opportunities for leadership development. On average, 75% of internists strongly agree that they are satisfied with their jobs, 95% of UAB internists reported the same.

Most hospitals have one or more exclusive contracts with members of the medical staff to ensure round-the-clock coverage for a particular service. Physicians who find themselves ineligible to hold certain privileges as a result of an exclusive arrangement may sue the hospital. Therefore, medical staff bylaws must address what hearing rights, if any, the hospital offers members who are affected by the initiation or ongoing existence of an exclusive contract.

Per most states’ hospital licensure requirements, medical staff membership and clinical privileges are granted through processes outlined by the hospital’s medical staff bylaws. Those bylaws define the requirements for staff membership and delineation of clinical privileges. They also provide for various forms of procedural due process, including fair hearings (and any related appeals process) for adverse recommendations and actions.

Because minutes are the record of medical staff business, they carry important implications. MSPs must ensure that minutes provide an accurate account of credentials, peer review, or MEC meetings, where high-stakes decisions are made regarding a practitioner’s privileges and ability to practice.

Although writing meeting minutes is a tedious task for MSPs, no one can argue their importance. Minutes are an official record of what happened during a meeting, and their principal purpose is to provide committee members, staff, and others with a:

For many people, regardless of career, the thought of professional writing or public speaking can be daunting. Whether it be stage fright, writer’s block, or something else entirely, people have a multitude of reasons for rejecting opportunities to write for publication or speak at an engagement. Leslie Cox, BS, MHA, CPMSM, CPCS, former senior director at Banner Health’s credentialing verification office in Phoenix, knows these feelings of intimidation quite well; however, Cox has had her fair share of professional writing and speaking experience, and she urges MSPs to answer the call when an opportunity comes knocking.

Clashing interests and ethics can undermine the integrity of medical staff tasks, create financial disputes between a healthcare institution and the physicians who practice there, disrupt key governance processes, cause rifts that jeopardize patient care, and, in extreme cases, result in costly legal action. During this 90-minute on-demand webinar, expert Catherine Ballard, Esq., will walk attendees through long-standing and emerging internal and external conflicts that can undermine medical staff stability. She will provide practical strategies for addressing these issues and for articulating resolution tactics in governance documents.

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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