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Budget Planning

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, December 4, 2008

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Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS, is the director of medical affairs at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, where she oversees the medical administration, graduate medical education, and medical staff services departments. Her column appears once a month.

Dear credentialing colleague:

As the new year approaches, 2009 budget planning is wrapping up and MSPs should be working with their administrators to ensure appropriate budgeting for the medical staff office.

Planning a budget is a detailed, comprehensive process. It involves estimating costs that may be increased due to pending regulatory standards or changes in processes. For example, with the new Joint Commission leadership standards that go into effect on January 1, 2009, new orientation requirements for medical staff leaders may impact the organization’s budget. This includes costs for conflict resolution training, quality and safety orientation expenses, orientation about the population served by the organization, and all other medical staff leadership requirements outlined in the new standards.

Additionally, budget time for MSPs means helping to determine whether the costs for contracted services, such as background screening, temporary staffing, or other credentialing costs may increase over the next year. Ensuring that the financial resources needed to perform A+ credentialing is included in the organization’s budget is a responsibility of the medical staff office.

It is also a great time for MSPs to present their administrative leadership with a request for increased staffing as needed. MSPs should ensure that the justification is clear and the supporting documentation is included in the request. Suggestions for supporting documentation include copies of relevant standards along with detailed action plans for compliance, time studies related to the performance and volume of the medical staff office over the past year, and cost analysis related to the medical staff office including turn around time for processing applications.

Take the initiative and be proactive in preparing for the upcoming year by speaking up for budget needs!

Remember, clear, effective communication is the key to success – and the key for securing the funding that you need to maintain best practice credentialing!

That's all for this week.

All the best,

Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS

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