Credentialing experts: The credentials committee chair and the MSP

This issue, I'd like to share an e-mail that I recently received from a medical staff leader:

 

I've been the chair of the credentials committee since July.  Every day I get questions that I don't know the answer to. 

"Do the same processes apply to locum tenens physicians as regular full time staff?" 

"Is primary source verification always required on new medical staff applications?"

 

I know the answers to very few of the questions.  Should I?  What should the chair know?  What should the full-time staff know?

 

How can I efficiently remediate knowledge gaps?  (I'm ok with going to meetings, but generally reading works more efficiently for me.)

 

Isn't this a great question?  This medical staff leader is the chair of the credentials committee, but the question could have just as easily been posed by the president of the medical staff, the chair of the quality committee or a department chair.

 

The key issue has to do with what the chair of a committee should know versus what that chair should be able to rely on the medical staff professional (MSP)-"the full time staff"-to know.

 

In my opinion, the chair of credentials committee should be able to turn to the MSP for:

 

• Expert knowledge of regulatory/accreditation issues that impact the work of the committee.  That means Medicare Conditions of Participation requirements, Joint Commission accreditation requirements, regulations related to the National Practitioner Data Bank, and state-specific licensing requirements.  If the MSP doesn't have the immediate answers, she or he should know how to get the answers and provide it to the chair.

• Knowledge of what should be documented, and how the work of the committee should be documented, etc.  

   

Obviously, the MSP is also responsible for oversight of credentialing processes (initial appointment, reappointment) and creation and maintenance of credentials files (whether in paper or electronic format), among other tasks associated with the credentialing process.

 

Let's be fair: What should the MSP expect of the chair of the credentials committee?  At a minimum, the MSP should expect the chair to:

• Spend the time to adequately prepare for meetings.  The chair has to take the time to collaborate with the MSP on what should be on the agenda, and assure that he or she reviews all agenda items prior to meetings, understand the important issues and is able to communicate those issues to committee members.

• Lead a well-run meeting.  Make sure that there is thoughtful consideration of the issues before the committee, whether they are new appointments, reappointments, requests for new privileges, policies, procedures, privileging criteria, etc.

   

Finally, a chair should keep up with important information about the issues that impact the work of his/her committee by making a commitment to read available journals, newsletters (and yes, e-zines!) that will help to keep him or her updated on new developments, solutions and knowledge about what other medical staff organizations do to meet similar challenges (www.hcpro.com/medical%2Dstaff). 

 

We at The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc., also firmly believe that attending meetings is a great way for medical staff leaders to obtain new information, as well as an invaluable opportunity to network with other medical staff leaders.  If you can't attend a meeting in person, you should consider "attending" an audioconference.  You will still have some opportunity to network with your colleagues if the audioconference allows for questions and answers. (http://www.hcmarketplace.com/listings-PT_AUD.html)

 

Finally, if your medical staff organization doesn't have the support you need to do your job as a medical staff leader , speak to your CEO.  There are hundreds of qualified MSPs across the country-perhaps your organization needs to make the commitment to finding one (or more) for your organization. 

 

Vicki L. Searcy, CPMSM

The Greeley Company