In the 1990s, the term "managed care" had a negative connotation, as patients perceived it as payers' way of encouraging physicians to deny needed healthcare services. But managed care has come a long way since then and is making a comeback in light of pressure from payers and...
Whenever medical staff leaders discuss medical staff engagement and alignment, talk of money isn’t far behind. Whereas 30 years ago, serving in a medical staff leadership role was par for the course, today physicians consider it going above and beyond the call of duty. Many hospitals offer...
Today, the medical staff president, hospital CEO, and board chair of Better Times Hospital are meeting to discuss a recent request. The cardiologists, CT surgeons, vascular surgeons, and interventional radiologists want to establish an integrated clinical service line, as...
Starting with the next edition of The Joint Commission's Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals to be published this spring, The Joint Commission will change the term "disruptive behavior" to "behaviors that undermine a culture of safety." The accrediting agency...
Since the ABMS established its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process, hospitals and health systems have had at their fingertips additional information regarding certified physicians' current competence, and now the general public has access to that same information.
Even four years after The Joint Commission introduced the concept of ongoing professional practice evaluation (OPPE), organizations still struggle with the details. HCPro's new book, The Complete Guide to OPPE, walks readers through the various questions that...
How should medical staff members who take the time to prepare and present continuing medical education (CME) be rewarded? There are several options, says Thomas Huth, MD, MBA, FACP, vice president of medical affairs at Reid Hospital & Health Care Services in Richmond...
Aristotle spoke of practical wisdom in his classic book Nicomachean Ethics, as noted in the contemporary book by Barry Schwartz, PracticalWisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing (Riverbend Books, New York, 2010). "Ethics, said Aristotle, was not mainly...
Are physicians on your medical staff debating whether to use scribes? The decision will depend on your organization's resources and whether it is able to meet accreditation requirements. Check out this FAQ to help get the decision-making process started.
