In its simplest form, collaboration means working with others as equals. This can be a struggle for physicians, as medical education has generally fostered an individualistic culture by rewarding clinical skills such as autonomy, decisiveness, and independence. But for a successful physician leader, this individualistic style is subpar, or even antithetical, when it comes to reducing conflict and achieving positive outcomes.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hired physicians and other healthcare providers that had adverse actions taken against them. GAO analyzed physicians, nurses, and dentists working at VHA as of September 2016 who had an NPDB record.

There are a variety of viable ways to approach the delineation of medical history and physical exam (H&P) privileges. The following is a sampling of core privilege statements for various disciplines. Some address H&Ps in explicit terms, and others use alternative language.

The movement of care from the inpatient setting and the rise of clinically integrated networks (CIN) have resulted in an increasing need to push the evaluation of physician quality into these new territories. The challenge is to understand how to systematically measure and evaluate physician competency when care is provided outside the hospital or when physicians are accountable to an organization apart from the medical staff.

It has been two years since Christopher Duntsch, MD, was convicted of a felony count of injury to an elderly person and sentenced to life in prison. Duntsch, a former neurosurgeon practicing in the Dallas area between 2012 and 2013, allegedly killed or maimed as many as 35 patients in botched surgeries. His arrest made national news when it was revealed that he had a history of failed surgeries spanning multiple hospitals.

Following the bylaws is critical because they reflect state and federal laws and regulations, such as the Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA). These laws and regulations include specific parameters for conducting the corrective action and the fair hearing, says Jon Kammerzelt, partner and chair of the health & life sciences practice group at Quarles & Brady LLP in Madison, Wisconsin.

The fair hearing is a culmination of several detailed processes that medical staff service departments must follow when addressing concerns about a physician’s competency or behavior. The following example broadly outlines the steps that result in a fair hearing.

The Credentialing Resource Center team would like to thank everyone who made the 2019 CRC Symposium a resounding success. Click here to access our photo gallery featuring snapshots from educational sessions captured during the three-day training extravaganza in Las Vegas.

All healthcare organizations must comply with multiple regulatory and accreditation standards, but making sense of all those requirements is easier said than done. During this 90-minute webinar, expert speaker Carol S. Cairns, CPMSM, CPCS, will break down the credentialing standards of the five accrediting bodies (CMS, The Joint Commission [TJC], the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program [HFAP], DNV GL, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance [NCQA]), identify their similarities and differences, and explain how the four-step credentialing approach applies to each agency. For more information, click here.