When the credentials committee considers an application, that application contains two parts. The first is for membership in the medical staff. Criteria for such membership may include type of licensure, education, training, and experience.

As credentialing activity picks up speed across the care continuum, more and more MSPs are working in environments where certification may not yet have a reputation as the gold standard. Still, even in settings where certification hasn’t caught on, a National Association Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) credential can showcase skill and support advancement.

Collegial interventions are not considered disciplinary measures or formal “corrective actions;” rather, they are considered peer review activities that are directed at improving a practitioner’s performance.

How do you assess the competence of a practitioner who is clinically active at another facility with very little or no activity in your organization? MSPs see these types of cases all the time when they credential a new practitioner’s request for clinical privileges when that practitioner has been actively practicing elsewhere.

Are medical staff leadership positions voluntary or compensated? If they are compensated, who pays? Once again, the approach and answer to these questions are a direct reflection of an organization’s culture, as there are no prescriptions on how to do this nor is there one way to accomplish this.

“I believe that there are plenty of medical staff professionals that are diligent, hardworking, and doing all they can to provide best practices to institutions they serve. And to be selected from such a talented and gifted group of medical staff professionals is a tribute that is difficult to describe with words.”

- Olivia Loeffler, CPMSM, CPCS, accepts her award for 2017 CRC Medical Staff Professional of the Year.

Conference attendee Uvaldo Navarro accepts his free seat to next year’s Credentialing Resource Center Symposium in Las Vegas!

“Physicians like paper.”

- Sally Pelletier, CPMSM, CPCS, as a misguided MSP muddling through a chaotic credentials committee meeting in the CRC Symposium Player’s second skit.

Congratulations to Heather Johnson, CPCS, co-winner of the Case Study Competition!

Missed the highlights from Thursday’s sessions? Check them out here.

Thank you to all the attendees who joined us for the 2017 CRC Symposium! Now that the conference is over, here’s a few things to remember:

• Obtain your CEUs online. To receive your continuing education certificate for this program, you must complete the online evaluation found here within two weeks.
• Download conference materials. If you want to refer back to any presentations you attended, don’t forget to download PDF copies of the sessions’ slides. A link to the downloadable content can be found on page 2 of the program guide.
• Get excited for the 2018 CRC Symposium. Stay tuned for details about next year’s conference in Las Vegas!
• Enjoy your remaining time in Austin. If you’re extending your stay in the city, don’t forget to reference the Credentialing Resource Center’s guide series for dining, nightlife, and sightseeing suggestions. In fact, all the CRC editors are staying for the weekend. Karen is a fan of a local yoga studio and plans to pop in for a class, Delaney is looking forward to visiting the Sixth Street entertainment district, and Son’s brother lives in Austin and just happens to be throwing his annual crawfish boil on Saturday.
• Keep your eye on CRC Daily. Next Monday's edition will feature a little more coverage from the conference so check back in with us.

The conference mobile app will remain active for a year, so keep posting comments and photos to the Activity Feed. You can also use the app’s message feature to keep in touch with other attendees you’ve met these past few days. Just because the conference is over, doesn’t mean you can’t keep networking.

You can also engage with us on social media through LinkedIn and our Twitter account. You can also email any conference memories directly to shoang@hcpro.com. Your comments could end up in a future edition of CRC Daily.