Credentialing & Privileging

A tip a day can chase away the winter doldrums (part 2 of 2)

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, February 8, 2007

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Last week, we began a to-do list for February with a different tip for each day of the month. These credentialing and privileging tips were intended to help a cold winter month move by just a little faster for everyone. We ended on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14 with suggestion to provide all members of the credentials committee a copy of "Blind Eye" by James Stewart as an "act of love" for our patients and families.

 

Now let's continue with the rest of the month.

 

Thursday, Feb. 15: Review your medical staff bylaws related to board certification requirements to determine if you are in compliance.  If not, add steps to get in compliance to your work plan.

 

Friday, Feb. 16: Conduct an evaluation as to whether you are using your credentialing software optimally. If not, create a list of fields and/or modalities that are not currently being used that would be beneficial to your office.

 

Saturday, Feb. l7 and Sunday, Feb. 18: Skip the office and relax with family and friends.

 

Monday, Feb. 19: Begin to explore paperless meeting management options by querying your peers or posting a query on the NAMSS discussion board asking for successful implementation experiences.

 

Tuesday, Feb. 20: Review language in your medical staff bylaws related to temporary privileges to determine if you are in compliance with Joint Commission standards.  Confirm that actual practice is in accordance with bylaws.

 

Wednesday, Feb. 21: Schedule the time to catch up on your reading of pertinent credentialing resources.

 

Thursday, Feb. 22: Add the need to conduct a self-assessment of the medical staff office to your 2007 medical staff office work plan.

 

Friday, Feb. 23: If you are a medical service professional, send your credentials committee chair a note (email is fine) thanking him or her for his or her commitment to patient safety.  If you are a credentials committee chair, send your medical service professional a note (email is fine of course) thanking him or her for his or her commitment to patient safety.

 

Saturday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 25: Relax with family and friends.

 

Monday, Feb. 26: Run a report of low- and no-volume providers by specialty.

 

Tuesday, Feb. 27: Analyze the report from Monday to determine why these providers are low- or no-volume at your facility.  Are they a low- or no-volume specialist or a low- or no-volume specialty?   

 

Wednesday, Feb. 28: Begin to address these low- and no-volume practitioners as applicable by 1) using refer and follow language, 2) communicating with the practitioner as to their intent to practice in your facility, 3) and recognizing that there are some specialties that lend themselves to low-  or no-volume status and developing a process that will provide data for determining competency (e.g. data regarding office-based procedures and references from referrals).

 

While these daily activities may not make your month go by as quickly or be as enjoyable as trying a different wine every evening, hopefully they'll provide you with some satisfaction that your policies are up to date, or that you have identified some areas that you know you can address throughout 2007.



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