Define your medical staff officer qualifications

Hospitals with well-defined leadership selection criteria that establish a physician’s eligibility to run for office are more likely to elect well-qualified, committed, and knowledgeable medical staff officers. It is hard to hit the target unless you aim for it. Medical staffs have been expanding the list of job eligibility requirements to include some or all of the following criteria:

• The physician must be an active staff member in good standing for a certain number of years. In this context, a physician in “good standing” has a record free of adverse recommendations concerning medical staff appointments/privileges, license/DEA sanctions, and professional conduct or quality issues.
• The physician has several years’ experience in a medical staff leadership position or equivalent (e.g., the physician has served as a department or committee chair or as a member of the executive committee).
• The physician has received medical staff leadership training or demonstrates a willingness to attend such training three to five days per year.
• The physician agrees not to be a medical staff or board leader at any other competing facility during his or her term in office.
• The physician fully discloses all conflicts of interest or interest in competing healthcare entities.
• The physician recognizes and agrees to the commitment of time needed to perform the duties associated with the role and assumes responsibility for participating in continuing leadership education.
• The physician demonstrates the ability to work positively and communicate well with colleagues, hospital administration, and the board.