Long live the forevermore reference

Although perhaps not as long-standing as their name implies, forevermore references have been around for a while. Part of the draw is their simplicity: At the time of a practitioner's resignation from a hospital, the medical staff office (MSO) asks the relevant department chair to complete an evaluation that speaks to the practitioner's competency. Afterward, the document is housed in the credentials file and pulled whenever a reference request arrives from a facility seeking to grant privileges to the resigned practitioner?regardless of whether the query comes five, 10, or even more years down the road.

This is an excerpt from a members-only article. Please log in or become a member to read the complete article.