Tip of the week: Join a medical staff services association to boost your career

Almost every state has an association of medical staff services that, along with the National Association Medical Staff Services (NAMSS), welcomes new members with open arms. Sometimes new MSPs choose to join their state associations before the national association because the state offers lower fees for joining and provides conferences that are closer to home. Debi Potter, director of medical staff services at Montgomery Regional Hospital in Blacksburg, VA,says that she began as an MSP around the same time that her state association formed, and she quickly became a member. “That was my first real opportunity to meet other people who knew what I was doing and [helped me to] ensure that what I was doing was appropriate,” she says. “Being involved in your state and local associations just makes such a difference.” State and national associations typically offer:

• Conferences and webinars that provide continuing education credits
• Networking opportunities with other MSPs
• Updates on developments in universal credentialing applications and regulatory standards

Specifically, the networking opportunities at conferences are a big draw for many MSPs who join these associations. “So much of what we learn comes from talking to other medical staff professionals about the processes in their organizations,” says Thora Healy, CPMSM, CPCS, director of medical staff services at Anna Jacques Hospital in Newburyport, MA. “Attending conferences such as NAMSS gives you an opportunity to network with your counterparts.”

And it’s not just MSPs who ultimately benefit from these professional development opportunities. “We serve as a resource for physician leaders and hospital administration.
Attending [a conference] is a way to stay on top of industry trends and regulatory requirements—which is essential to be effective,” says Healy.

If it’s a challenge for you to convince your organization to allow you to attend educational events, point out that these events not only benefit you, but also the medical
staff as a whole because you’ll pass on the best practices you learn. Another way to gain permission is to write a formal request letter outlining which presentations you’ll attend and how you’ll use the information you gather to improve the MSSD.

This week’s tip is adapted from “Professional development= education + networking” in the December issue of Briefings on Credentialing (subscription required).