The way your medical staff goes about developing and enforcing a code of conduct policy can affect the policy’s effectiveness. Consider the following dos and don’ts when developing a policy at your institution.

Last week, a lawsuit was filed against Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in West Virginia after several patients died of suspicious means in the same time frame. The family of Felix K. McDermott, who was admitted to the hospital on April 6, 2018 and died on April 9, 2018, alleged that the hospital staff and physicians were negligent.

To ensure that the credentials committee benefits from interested, experienced, and knowledgeable members, the members of the credentials committee should be able to serve significant tenures (e.g., three or more years). The medical staff should choose a chair who is skilled in credentialing, as opposed to a rotating medical staff officer who may have no background in credentialing and who cannot provide continuity of leadership to the committee.

Earn continuing education units at the 2020 CRC Symposium! This years' conference has been approved for credits by the following organizations:

• National Association Medical Staff Services (NAMSS): 12.5 continuing education units 
• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME): 12.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM

Held from April 20-21 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, the 2020 CRC Symposium gives MSPs, physician leaders, and quality professionals the chance to earn CEUs in their field while networking with colleagues from around the nation. CRC members save an additional $100! Register now by clicking here or by calling 800-650-6787.

If you’ve worked in medical staff services for a long time, you probably have a solid process in place for managing and processing physician applications for appointment/reappointment. Can you say the same for your advanced practice professional applicants (APP)?

Leading up to the 21^st century, peer review evolved constantly, undergoing rapid change. New regulations and requirements were implemented both by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the 1960s and by the establishment of the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986. Functions and duties of committees shifted as physicians accommodated their increased responsibilities related to peer review.