Medical Staff

Tip of the week: Keep minutes short and sweet

Medical Staff Leader Connection, December 23, 2009

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Focus on the actions taken during the meeting, rather than the discussion that led to the decision, suggests Halina J. Henning, CPMSM, CPCS, senior manager of medical staff administration at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. “It boils down to what decisions the committee makes. This is what needs to be memorialized, not necessarily who said what and why,” Henning says.

Henning suggests that minutes be no longer than three pages. To keep the page count down, avoid dropping data from exhibits and attachments directly into the minutes. For example, when taking minutes for a credentials committee meeting, Henning writes “Applications were approved per exhibit X” rather than typing out all the names of the applicants who were approved. She adjusts the motions accordingly so the committee does not appear to have rubber-stamped everyone on the list. “Each application is looked at individually, and that is noted in the motions,” Henning says.

This week’s tip is excerpted from “Minute taking best practices to protect your organization from litigation” in the January issue of Medical Staff Briefing.

 



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