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Credentialing concerns after the initial application: orientation

Credentialing & Verification Update, August 15, 2007

Once you have completed the preliminary credentialing process with an applicant and your organization has granted the practitioner membership, there are still many important steps to consider. Once such step is considering what kind of orientation you will have for your new medical staff members.

Each organization should have some level of orientation for its physicians, as there are many organizational and regulatory requirements of which physicians should be made aware. MSPs should work with the president of the medical staff, the VPMA, and the credentials committee to determine the type of orientation that best suits your organization, as well as what content your organization will include in the orientation.

Some organizations require applicants to come in and meet with the department chair, credentials committee chair, or entire credentials committee. As a part of the interview, the applicant may receive an orientation packet. Other organizations require an on-site orientation that can last from a couple of hours to a full day. The latter are typically more detailed and include hands-on training for clinical systems, lunch with administrative or medical staff leaders, tours of the facility, and so on.

With advanced technology, organizations are also beginning to implement online training modules. The medical staff leadership designs and approves these modules, and defines a required time frame for completion (e.g., either before privileges are granted or within 30 days of granting privileges). Some organizations send only an informational packet or may have an informational packet combined with one of the methods discussed earlier. The contents of the packet could be put on a CD for convenience.

Editor's note: In next week's CVU, we outline basic recommendations for orientation content.

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