Ask the expert: Does failing to act on a request for reappointment have legal implications?

Yes. Your organization's policies should clearly outline the time frame by which it must act on a completed application. If you do not receive the information your organization requires to process the reappointment, you should place the burden on the applicant to provide that information, and failure to do so should result in the expiration of his or her membership and privileges.

If the delay is due to issues that currently are under review through a hearing panel, the organization may consider granting reappointment for a specified period of time rather than for a full 24-month peior or make the reappointment contingent on the outcome of the hearing. This avoids adverse action against the practitioner by not denying the reappointment, but it also protects the organization.

This week's question and answer are from The Essential Guide to Medical Staff Reappointment: Tools to Create and Maintain an Ongoing, Criteria-Based Process, Second Edition, by Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS.