Ask the expert: What voting thresholds are needed for a medical staff bylaws amendment to pass?

Traditional medical staffs require a simple majority (50% plus one), two-thirds, or three-quarters affirmative vote to pass an amendment to the bylaws. Some medical staffs now use mail or electronic ballots that list the proposed changes and state that a staff member who does not return the ballot within the required time frame is presumed to have cast an affirmative vote. An alternative is to state that no action is required to vote yes; the ballot only needs to be returned if the medical staff member wishes to vote no.

This week’s question and answer are adapted from The Greeley Guide to Medical Staff Bylaws, Second Edition by Joseph D. Cooper, MD, CMSL.