Understand the options for collegial intervention
Collegial intervention is an administrative attempt to resolve issues informally, rather than go down the road of formal corrective action, which is difficult for all involved, says Sarah Coyne, partner at Quarles & Brady LLP.
Collegial intervention involves talking with the physician to:
- Share the concerns identified
- Give feedback regarding the concern
- Provide resources and recommendations for the physician to address the issue, such as a course on the clinical skill in question or an anger management class
This step affords the practitioner an opportunity to remediate the issue without a corrective action. Because this is an informal and voluntary process, there are no official repercussions (e.g., restriction of privileges) if the physician does not follow the recommendations suggested. However, the chief of staff or medical staff leader speaking with the practitioner should make the stakes clear.
“Often it’s presented in a way that the person says to the physician, ‘Hey, we really want you to do this voluntarily, but if not, we’re going to have to explore other options, which may include initiating formal corrective action,’ ” explains Jon Kammerzelt, partner and chair of the health & life sciences practice group at Quarles & Brady LLP in Madison, Wisconsin.