All Entries Tagged With: "The Joint Commission"
Hot topic: Low-volume providers
The medical staff crowd is buzzing with questions regarding credentialing and privileging low- and no-volume practitioners. The topic gets hotter as more physicians abandon hospital care to focus on their more lucrative outpatient practices, which inevitably makes it difficult for the medical staff services department to assess their clinical competence.
The Greeley Company is addressing low- and no-volume providers in its new white paper: Low-Volume/No-Volume Practitioners: Best Practices for Competency, Privileging, and Strategy. Check out this excerpt:
A best practice is to develop your approach to low-volume/no-volume providers,
including the design and implementation of an effective outreach program, as part of a comprehensive strategic medical staff plan. In the past, healthcare organizations created physician recruitment plans based on the demographic analysis of current physician-to-population ratios and an aging analysis of current members on the medical staff roster. Such medical staff development plans were adequate for demonstrating community need and justifying recruitment and salary guarantee support, but they are no longer adequate to meet today’s challenges. Now, a strategic medical staff development plan needs to begin by recognizing the medical staff as one of the hospital’s most valuable resources.
If there is one thing that I’ve learned from all the buzz, it’s that this issue needs to be tackled from two angles: the credentialing and privileging issues related to low- and no-volume providers to help MSPs do their jobs more effectively, and strategic development planning spearheaded by leaders. If medical staff leaders aren’t tackling strategic planning issues, MSPs will have a more difficult time helping the hospital comply with the Joint Commission’s FPPE and OPPE standards.
I’d love to hear from you if your facility has questions or concerns regarding low- and no-volume practitioners. And of course, we’re always looking great tips, so e-mail me at ejones@hcpro.com if you want to share your formula for success! I’d also suggest picking up a copy of Assessing the Competency of Low-Volume Practitioners, Second Edition. I may be a bit biased, but I think it’s a great resource for MSPs and medical staff leaders alike.
Contest entry: PowerPoint presentation on medical staff standards
The latest contest entry is a PowerPoint presentation on The Joint Commission’s medical staff standards provided by Linda Van Winkle, the medical staff services manager at Christus St. Patrick Hospital in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Linda said she created the presentation last year when she was asked to give a presentation on OPPE and FPPE.
Thanks, Linda.
To access the file, click here: presentation-linda-van-winkle-tjc-ms-standards-2008-updated-041508_2
More revised standards from The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission has, after discussion with CMS, reduced the number of changes from its January 5, 2009 announced standards revisions.
For more information about this story, visit the AHAP blog.
Remember MS.1.20?
Remember the controversy regarding The Joint Commission standard MS.1.20, particularly about what must be included in medical staff bylaws? There was considerable discussion regarding the interpretation of this standard. Today the standard is MS.01.01.01 and the language specifying that “every requirement set forth in Elements of Performance 12 through 36 is in the medical staff bylaws” now indicates that the organized medical staff may create additional governance documents such as policies, procedures, protocols, and rules and regulations but the requirements listed must be retained in the medical staff bylaws. These elements of performance cover seven points (Refer to Accreditation Program, Hospital Chapter - Medical Staff, Elements of Performance for MS.01.01.01).
MSPs will want to carefully review The Joint Commission standard and compare requirements to their current medical staff bylaws to ensure compliance. A very important step is making certain that the governing board approves the medical staff bylaws and any additional governance documents (policies, procedures, and rules and regulations, etc.). I am looking forward to learning how The Joint Commission will score the Elements of Performance in 2009 following all the confusion with MS.1.20. If you have had a survey and have been successful, I hope you will share your success with us. We’ll be eager to hear from you.
Carole La Pine, MSA, CPMSM, CPCS