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Communication is the key to success

Medical Staff Leader Connection, February 10, 2004

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Dear Medical Staff Leader:

Most chief executive officers (CEOs) agree that a good, solid, working relationship among medical staff leaders, administration, and the governing board is one of the keys to a hospital's success.

Many hospitals and medical staffs strive to maintain good relations with their governing boards by developing professional-relations or joint-conference committees. In many hospitals, these structures have proved valuable when used appropriately.

The physicians who serve as full members of the governing board are not often recognized as the excellent "builders" of harmonious working relations that they are. Although their fiduciary responsibility is unequivocally to the hospital, they are often able to maintain a good grasp of medical staff issues as well. Medical staff leaders should consider encouraging and even inviting these physician board members to attend medical executive committee (MEC) meetings, where they could listen, participate, or lend guidance, as appropriate.

If you are an MEC member at your institution, bring this up at the next meeting. Recognize that such an invitation does not require a bylaws amendment, just an agreement within the MEC. Medical staffs that have made this a routine practice have found it extremely useful.

That's all for this week.

All the best,

Hugh Greeley

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