Check in with CRC Symposium speaker Todd Sagin

Todd Sagin, MD, JD, brings a unique perspective to the medical staff field with a background as a physician, medical staff leader, and a lawyer. Sagin is now the national medical director of Sagin Healthcare Consulting, LLC and HC Healthcare Consultants, LLC, and frequently is exposed to the daily struggles faced by today's medical staffs. At the 2017 Credentialing Resource Center Symposium, Sagin will cover topics such as negligent credentialing, working with different generations of physicians, and employed physicians. Credentialing Resource Center asked Sagin to answer some questions about his personal journey into medicine and law.

What made you get into the medical field?

The opportunity to work with people to improve their lives using intellectually challenging and demanding skills.

What made you want to take on medical staff leadership positions? 

Initially I undertook these roles via academic responsibilities which arose because I enjoy teaching others. Later in my career, I pursued leadership because it provided the opportunity to improve the lives of many people at once, rather than just one at a time as a doctor.

What made you want to get into the legal field?

Early in my career I developed an interest in medical ethics and in the development of hospital ethics committees. I found that as a consultant in bioethics it was important to have a strong understanding of how the legal field impacts medical decisionmaking. Later in my career, I found this legal knowledge indispensable in my various medical leadership roles and as a consultant.

What has kept you in the field for so long? 

I enjoy the work I do and am gratified by the contributions I can make.

How has working as a legal expert changed what you know or how you view the medical profession? 

This work has given me insight in to the many ways things can go wrong in healthcare. It also has shown me how the legal system is frequently abused to the detriment of good healthcare practice.

What are the biggest challenges medical staff and physician leaders face today? 

At the 60,000-foot level, it is dealing with rapid change in our evolving healthcare system. At a more granular level, it is building more integrated delivery systems founded on a strong primary care base. Most important is finding ways to allow practitioners to spend more face time with patients and to build meaningful relationships with those for whom they care.

For more information on the 2017 CRC Symposium, click here.