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The expanding role of MSPs

Credentialing Resource Center Connection , July 2, 2009

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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.

Dear Credentialing Colleague:

The role of the MSP continues to expand as the governance and regulatory requirements regarding the management of medical staffs become increasingly stringent.

Long ago, credentialing and privileging was a task that was performed by various administrative staff and consisted of gathering basic information when a new physician joined the medical staff. Today, it is a recognized profession and desirable career path. Obtaining certification and participating in national, state, and local associations are a part of becoming an MSP and maintaining the skills required to be successful in the field.

As healthcare administration continues to evolve, the role of MSPs has expanded in new directions over the past few years. Many organizations have experienced the benefits of having MSPs oversee or participate in the oversight of other departments and of MSPs partnering with other departments to develop strategic plans.

For example, MSPs are becoming more involved in graduate medical education (GME). Previously, many hospitals depended on the affiliated university to oversee training activities, but with new regulatory standards, this is no longer an option. Hospitals are responsible for all activities within their facilities regardless whether the function is performed by an employee, contracted staff, volunteer, or trainee. For participants in GME programs, the hospital is responsible for ensuring that the participants are appropriately credentialed (i.e., verification of training permits, insurance, etc., as applicable) and that they are practicing under appropriate supervision. This can be accomplished in several ways through a hospital-based GME office. Having an MSP oversee this process or participate in the development of these new processes benefits the organization because MSPs are credentialing experts.

Other areas where we have seen MSPs participate in oversight or develop partnerships include medical administration, physician relations, quality improvement, human resources, risk management, medical records, and continuing medical education.

MSPs should proactively expand their knowledge outside of credentialing and privileging to include other areas of healthcare administration. MSPs are important members of the healthcare team, so working collaboratively between departments will not only benefit the organization, but will also continue to support MSPs’ personal and professional growth. 

That's all for this week.

All the best,

Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS

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