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Credentialing committee composition

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, July 5, 2007

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Sally J. Pelletier, CPMSM, CPCS, is a consultant with The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc., specializing in the areas of credentialing and privileging.

Dear credentialing colleague:

When you consider the wide-ranging responsibilities and duties of credentials committee members, it is no surprise that a key factor to successful decision-making and resolution of difficult issues is having an experienced team led by a medical staff leader who is knowledgeable about all of the intricacies of the credentialing and privileging processes.

Experienced credentials committees successfully avoid the following errors:

• Information errors: These typically occur when information that affects the credentialing decision-making process is available, but the committee is unaware of its existence.
• Decision errors: These typically occur when the committee knows about information that is key to the credentialing decision, but leaders fail to apply it in making their decision.

The credentials committee has tremendous responsibility for the oversight of sensitive and potentially litigious deliberations related to credentialing and privileging. Consider revamping the rules for committee membership if either of the following situations exist at your facility:

• Your current credentials committee does not advocate for continuous terms for members who are willing to serve.
• Your current credentials committee does not allow for tried-and-true leaders (e.g., past presidents, chiefs of staff, and past department chairs) who have vast experience in credentialing and privileging processes to compose the majority of its makeup.

To close on a lighthearted note-it is summer after all--I'd like to share a quote from actor Michael Caine that I recently came across. It reminds me of all of the MSPs who play a role in credentialing and privileging:

"Be like a duck: Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath."

Remember, credentialing has no other master than the patient.

That's all for this week.

All the best,
Sally J. Pelletier, CPMSM, CPCS

http://www.greeley.com/consulting.cfm

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