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Certified Medical Staff Leader (CMSL)

Medical Staff Affairs Monthly, March 12, 2008

Having completed the requisite training and successfully passing a rigorous examination, I can now add Certified Medical Staff Leader (CMSL) to my suffixes. But why? Is this just another typical behavior of an overachieving, moderately obsessive-compulsive perfectionist who happens to be a physician? Having worked with medical staffs and hospitals across the country, evidence for a dearth of effective leadership has become overwhelmingly abundant.

Many physicians possess considerable natural leadership skills, abilities, and talents. However, it should not be assumed that physician leaders possess all the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out the responsibilities of their elected or appointed positions. Physician leaders should have the opportunity to participate in a phased leadership development and training program that will expose them to the skills, knowledge, techniques, and approaches they need to be effective in their leadership roles.

To facilitate this, The Greeley Company has developed a structure and process to achieve Medical Staff Leadership Certification. Complete information is available at www.greeley.com/msleadercertification.

The mission of this program is to support physician success, hospital success, and high quality of care by establishing criteria for competent hospital medical staff leadership and certifying physicians who demonstrate the requisite knowledge and skills to meet these criteria. The benefits to physicians are many and include:

 Enhancing physician influence and credibility with management and the board. Physicians want to participate in important hospital decisions. CMSL-certified physicians have the stature and understanding to speak with insight and influence on behalf of patients and physicians. 
 Preparing to provide strong, effective medical staff leadership. Physicians in medical staff leadership positions often face challenges for which they are not prepared. Whether confronting a disruptive physician, struggling to make peer review fair and effective, or dealing with a privileging turf battle, achieving CMSL certification allows physicians to address these challenges with leadership and confidence.
 Eliminating inefficiency and wasted time in medical staff activities. Physician time is precious. Most physicians lose hours of time every month in meetings and paperwork just to meet regulatory requirements. CMSL-certified physicians know how to run efficient, effective meetings, streamline medical staff functions, and save time.
 Creating a leadership legacy that helps physicians, patients, and the hospital. Physicians called upon to serve in leadership positions for a limited time are often frustrated by not making a difference. CMSL certification means medical staff leaders have the tools they need to leave a legacy they can be proud of - a solid record of improved patient care, physician and hospital success, and better service to their communities.
 Enhancing physician career development. CMSL-certified physicians earn a credential that reflects mastery of leadership  and enhances their career development. It also provides knowledge and skills that help them better manage their own practice or group.

Likewise, the CMSL programs provide many benefits to hospitals, including:

 Developing well-trained and competent medical staff leaders. An effective medical staff is critical. Yet the self-governed election process for medical staff leaders allows physicians to step into important leadership positions without any training for their new responsibilities. Medical Staff Leadership certification means that physicians serving in leadership positions have the knowledge, skills, and balanced perspective necessary to fulfill their responsibilities.
 Ensuring physician leadership for quality, patient safety, and cost effectiveness. Physicians who attain the CMSL certification understand the need to work collaboratively with the hospital to achieve mission-critical improvements in quality and patient safety while managing hospital costs.
 Achieving better alignment of physician and hospital interests. Today, physicians increasingly compete with hospitals, yet the two need to collaborate to meet community needs and to help each other succeed. CMSL-certified physicians learn to manage the challenges involved in balancing physician-hospital competition and collaboration.
 Gaining medical staff leaders' assistance with accreditation requirements and public accountability. CMSL-certified physicians understand, and help their hospitals meet the standards of CMS, The Joint Commission, and state departments of public health. They also help hospitals respond to public accountability concerns such as core measures, pay for performance, and increasing transparency,  
 Ensuring physicians earn their compensation for leadership positions. Increasingly, hospitals compensate medical staff leaders. However, hospitals are under pressure to ensure that medical staff leaders' work  is commensurate with their compensation. CMSL-certified physicians can demonstrate value for their earned compensation.

The Greeley Company has long provided practical strategies to many organizations facing medical staff leadership challenges. Let us know if we can be of help. Until next time, be the best that you can be.

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