Tip of the week: Send courtesy reminders to keep busy docs on track

MSPs often struggle to receive information in a timely manner. Although the responsibility for providing the required information lies with the practitioner, there are certain things the medical staff office can do to be proactive.

Sending out reminder notices before critical items are due to expire helps put the item on the practitioner's radar. Some credentialing requirements, such as life support certifications, take several months to renew. For instance, the practitioner may need to attend a renewal course, but it may take several months to find a class with an opening. Sending reminder notices is a courtesy, of course, but it does help keep busy practitioners on track.

Reminder notices can also be helpful for the practitioner after a reappointment packet has been sent. Often, a practitioner will contact the MSP after he or she receives the reminder notice to say the packet was never received. If you've ever worked in a physician's private office, you know how easily something can be misplaced. Even though it is the physician's responsibility, this is unfortunately a very common scenario (or excuse) that MSPs hear on a routine basis.

To learn more tips from the field, see The Essentail Guide to Medical Staff Reappointment: Tools to Create and Maintain an Ongoing, Criteria-Based Process, Second Edition, by Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS.