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Can medical staff leaders succeed themselves?

Medical Staff Leader Connection, November 12, 2003

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Dear Medical Staff Leader:

I recently received the following question from a medical staff in South Carolina:

"We need your opinion regarding a chairman serving repeated terms. Our organization is debating whether it should permit a chair (i.e., credentials committee, institutional review board) to serve for more than the allotted two-year period. It is often difficult to fill these positions because they require training and experience. Therefore, when we find someone willing to do it year after year, we tend to reappoint him or her to the position."

In general, if a physician is doing a good job as chair of a department or committee, the medical executive committee (MEC) can request that he or she continue in the position. However, the hospital must consider whether the individual has the confidence of his or her peers. If so, the physician should be permitted to serve as long as he or she wishes, provided that he or she performs in accordance with medical staff bylaws.

As most readers recognize, most businesses (including hospitals) do not require experienced individuals to rotate their "job" with less experienced individuals. If an individual is doing a terrific job and wishes to remain in the position, he or she will maintain those responsiblities until he or she is either promoted or "stolen" by a competitor.

Medical staffs should attempt to follow this model. In the absence of a bylaws provision prohibiting physicians from succeeding themselves, the MEC should feel free to appoint an individual to chair a committee year after year.

In fact, there are many physician leaders nationwide that have served in their positions for years. Unfortunately, some organizations have adopted medical staff bylaws that prevent excellent department chairs from succeeding him or herself, even if they had the confidence of the members of the department and are performing their jobs well. I recommend that organizations evaluate their bylaws provisions to determine if they present an unnecessary barrier to an efficient, effective medical staff.

That's all for this week.

All the best,

Hugh Greeley

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