Accountable credentialing

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) continue to move forward, despite the political and regulatory headwinds they face. What does this mean for the medical staff services department? In all likelihood, more of what credentialers do now, under more scrutiny, said Michael Callahan, JD, during a presentation at the National Association Medical Staff Services conference and education event, held earlier this week.

“Quality issues, monitoring performance, and looking at all the metrics that are being issued—these are all things that have to be incorporated into your appointment and reappointment, and your FPPE/OPPE standards,” Callahan said. He suggested a “quality compliance plan” based in part on answers to these questions: “What are the goals for quality improvement? What metrics and benchmarks are used to measure progress? How does each goal link to management accountability? These are the key questions to take back your boards.”

If your organization is part of an ACO, does the medical staff services department have a seat at the management table? Let me know at mstevens@hcpro.com. And as always, thanks for reading!