Securing physician-hospital success

Dear medical staff leader:

Medical staff leaders know that quality is at the heart of everything they do. The governing board assigns responsibility to the medical staff for individual physician quality, and the medical staff carries out this responsibility through credentialing and peer review. The board also expects the medical staff to play a role in improving performance throughout the hospital, wherever physician input is important. But if you were to ask a physician to get involved in your medical staff to help improve quality, given the challenges in clinical practice today, most physicians would appropriately ask, "How will this help me succeed?" So, if it is going to be relevant to practicing physicians, the work of the medical staff needs to help physicians succeed.

At the same time, the board assigns the medical staff responsibilities that support the hospital's success. If we are to be thoughtful about this, we must recognize that in healthcare we can't afford to have hospitals pursuing success at the expense of physicians, and physicians pursuing success at the expense of hospitals. This won't meet the needs of the communities we serve. Instead, we want to work toward the success of both physicians and hospitals.

To achieve the goals of quality and physician-hospital success, medical staffs must have all of the following elements:

• Skilled and knowledgeable medical staff leadership
• Good structure and process
• Effective physician-hospital collaboration
• A strong medical staff culture

As you look toward 2008, make it your goal as a medical staff leader to ensure the above four elements are a part of your medical staff organization. In the coming year, we will provide tips to help you achieve that goal. Until then, stay well and be the best you can be.

William K. Cors, MD, MMM, FACPE
The Greeley Company