Ask the expert: Does the assignment to the active staff category require that a physician is regularly involved in the care of hospitalized patients?

Not necessarily. Medical staff bylaws require varying levels of involvement from members of the active category. For example, some medical staffs may require physicians to demonstrate an interest in assisting the hospital and medical staff in meeting the patient care mission. The physician may demonstrate his or her commitment to the patient care mission by providing evidence of his or her admissions, procedures, and referrals; serving on the medical staff or board committees; providing services at the facility’s free clinic; or participating as an instructor in the facility’s continuing medical education program.

This week’s question and answer are from Assessing the Competency of Low-Volume Practitioners: Tools and Strategies for OPPE and FPPE Compliance by Mark A. Smith, MD, MBA, CMSL and Sally Pelletier, CPMSM, CPCS, published by HCPro, Inc.