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Tip of the week: Streamline your medical staff categories

Medical Staff Leader Connection, March 19, 2008

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Medical staffs often have several categories and subcategories to describe all of their members. However, such subdivision is unnecessary. A medical staff should only contain three general categories:

• Honorary: Physicians who have been on staff for a long time or who have retired and been honored by the staff and board
• Active: Physicians who are fairly active at the hospital and have been on staff for more than one year
• Associate/affiliate/provisional: physicians who are not active or who are new to the staff

The medical staff bylaws should outline patient-contract requirements, clinical privileges, eligibility, and other criteria for physicians to qualify for each category. The process should be simple; in today's environment, hospitals need to provide physicians with a great place where they can practice with minimal hassle and bureaucracy.

To learn more about creating a more streamlined governance structure, see The Medical Executive Committee Handbook, Third Edition, by Mary J. Hoppa, MD, MBA; Albert L. Fritz, MHA; and Richard A. Sheff, MD.

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