Sample bylaws language for opting out of a unified medical staff
CMS allows a hospital system to have a unified medical staff made up of all the individual hospitals in the system. The Joint Commission takes the hospital system issue a step further and requires that the medical staff bylaws of a multi-hospital system contain the process that would allow the medical staff members of each individual hospital to vote to opt out of the unified medical staff. If your hospital is part of a system that has a unified medical staff, and you are accredited by The Joint Commission, your bylaws must define the process by which your medical staff may opt out of the unified medical staff.
Sample Bylaws Language For Opting Out of a Unified Medical Staff
The medical staff of the Best Hospital System is a unified, integrated medical staff with one governing body. Each individual hospital’s medical staff may opt out of the unified medical staff by decision of a majority of the voting members of the hospital’s medical staff.
A motion to opt out of the unified medical staff shall be made at a regular or specially called meeting of the hospital’s medical staff. Notification of the regular or specially called meeting shall be posted seven (7) days before the meeting, as required in these bylaws. If the motion is made and carried, the proposal to opt out of the unified medical staff shall be brought forth for vote at a called meeting of the medical staff no more than 30 days after the original motion was approved.
The medical staff shall be made aware of the motion to opt out of the unified medical staff at least 14 days before the called medical staff meeting. The medical staff shall be notified in writing, electronically, and through posting on the medical staff bulletin board within three (3) days of the approved motion.
Members of the medical staff must be present at the called meeting in order to vote. Proxy votes will not be accepted.
Source: Credentialing A to Z
© 2015 HCPro