Quick tip: Send only complete applications to medical staff leaders for review

MSPs sometimes feel compelled to send an application to department chairs or to the credentials committee even though the application is incomplete. Frequently, the pressure comes from one of the following sources:

• Physicians who want their new partner approved so he or she can take call
• The hospital’s employed physician group that signed a physician to an employment agreement but neglected to make it contingent on successful appointment to the medical staff

Regardless of the reason, it is important to follow your policies and procedures. These governance documents should define what makes an application complete, as well as the method for declaring an application incomplete and therefore ineligible for processing. If an applicant has failed to provide all information required by your policies, do not present the application to medical staff leaders for review. Remember that the burden is on the applicant to provide all information requested to make a determination about his or her eligibility for medical staff membership/clinical privileges.

Source: Criteria-Based Core Privileging: A Guide to Implementation and Maintenance