More talk of board certification

Yes, folks, the conversation regarding board certification as a measure of physician competency is till rolling. More of your colleagues have written in to share their opinions. Here’s what they have to say:

“Board certification is obviously one item of many that should be considered in the evaluation of a physician, either at initial appointment or at re-appointment.  However, that is not its only purpose. More important in this discussion is whether a hospital medical staff should require board certification, independent of any use for credentialing.  Requiring board certification makes a statement to the medical staff, to the board, and to the public that the hospital is trying to be the best that it can be.  That institutional attitude counts for a lot.  

“Our own healthcare system is going to be visited soon by the investigation team for the Baldridge Award.  Why should we try for such an award?  Just the effort needed to apply for the award makes a statement about the institutional attitude, whether or not we receive the award. Cultivate that attitude, build and expand on it, and let that attitude be expressed in everything we do.  The plaque on the wall, the congratulatory letter in the doctor’s file, the monthly newsletter announcement that one of our doctors recently was re-certified:  all of these help to tell the world who we are and what we stand for.  Just as important is that they tell us who we are.” 

~Van Swan, MD
Presbyterian Medical Group

“Rather than the idea that medical staffs and boards do not consider that certification is a reflection of physician competence, I believe they are reluctant to enforce the regulation for other reasons. I have seen these groups not enforce the decision at the time of appointment or reappointment because the physician was needed or has been a loyal colleague. For the most part, the regulations began with grandfathering of the current medical staff membership, which may make some believe an unfairness exists.  I believe that the few hospitals that enforce this requirement have an higher quality medical staff. Even though I was in an administrative position in 2000 at the age of 70, I re-certified in internal medicine. This did require the appropriate time commitment, something that busy practitioners may find difficult to do.  

“I also have noticed that committees or boards sometimes opt to extend deadlines for individual medical staff members to pass their boards. We had a bylaw that indicated the requirement to have board certification or the equivalent. The equivalent was hard to define and carry out. A member of our bylaws committee suggested a procedure that he had seen in the orthopedic association that required a review of office records.  This did not work out.”

~Francis M. Wilson MD, FACP
Retired Chief Medical Officer
St. John Health

You can find more food for thought about board certification here.