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Credentialing Resource Center Connection

National credentialing and privileging expert Sally J. Pelletier, CPCS, CPMSM, delivers useful and timely information in her weekly " Credentialing Resource Center Connection" column.

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

Credentialing Resource Center Connection

Issue 50, December 16, 2004

• Developing core privileges for emergency medicine

  How can you make sure that you have the best possible core privilege form for your emergency...

• JCAHO unveils principles to guide pay-for-performance programs

  The JCAHO last month unveiled a set of principles to guide the development and refinement of...

Issue 49, December 9, 2004 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Credentialing health care industry representatives in your hospital

  Questions related to the credentialing of healthcare industry representatives are not atypical and...

Issue 48, December 2, 2004

• Looking between the gaps.

  When reviewing an application or reapplication, one factor to be on the lookout for is the presence...

• JCAHO considers expansion of primary source verification

  While the JCAHO first proposed an expansion of primary-source verification of licensure, training...

Issue 47, November 18, 2004

• Continuously improve credentialing policies and procedures.

  Medical services professionals must observe basic principles when developing credentialing policies...

• CMS releases guidance on hospital privileging.

  In a much-anticipated, four page memorandum, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has...

Issue 46, November 10, 2004

• Publish and promote your standard of excellence

  Every medical staff in the nation has a section in its bylaws or policies identifying the...

• Florida hospitals sue over malpractice measures

  Several lawsuits were filed last week on behalf of the Florida hospital industry in an attempt to...

• Florida hospitals sue over malpractice measures

  Several lawsuits were filed last week on behalf of the Florida hospital industry in an attempt to...

Issue 45, November 4, 2004

• Review your policy on document retention and destruction

  Who determines the "who, what, when, where, and why" of document retention, storage, and...

• Data bank may soon provide hospitals instant alert of practitioner reports

  The Division of Practitioner Data Banks (DPDB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration...

Issue 44, October 27, 2004

• Criminal background checks are an essential credentialing tool

  According a front page article in the Oct. 19 issue of USA Today (www.usatoday.com), a large...

• JCAHO releases yet another bylaws clarification

  If you weren’t already confused, the JCAHO on October 21 released its third clarification...

• JCAHO releases yet another bylaws clarification

  If you weren’t already confused, the JCAHO on October 21 released its third clarification...

Issue 43, October 20, 2004

• Credentialing in a free clinic

  Please feel free to forward this letter to a friend or associate who works in a free clinic...

• A case of physician rights versus public’s right to know

  In South Carolina, warnings about physicians that a state medical board says might pose a threat to...

Issue 42, October 14, 2004

• Basic credentialing rules to ensure quality patient care.

  When faced with a complex credentialing situation, medical staff leaders and medical services...

• Basic credentialing rules to ensure quality patient care.

  When faced with a complex credentialing situation, medical staff leaders and medical services...

• Doctor who brought loaded gun to hospital loses his job

  An emergency room doctor who brought a loaded, .38-caliber revolver to work at Salem Hospital in...

Issue 41, October 7, 2004

• Develop a year end report on credentialing activities

  Now that autumn has arrived-- a time of year when there are typically slightly diminished numbers...

• JCAHO looks to reorganize credentialing standards for 2006

  The JCAHO plans to come out with new credentialing standards, targeted to take effect in January...

Issue 40, September 30, 2004

• JCAHO releases second clarification of bylaws standard

  As rumored at the National Association Medical Staff Services’ annual conference in Miami...

• Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat history

  Members of the public believe they have a right to expect that the physician providing services to...

Issue 39, September 23, 2004

• The reluctant department chair

  What's a credentials committee to do when a department chair simply refuses to make a...

• JCAHO may take another look at bylaws

  The JCAHO may soon issue yet another clarification of its bylaws requirement standard, MS.1.20...

Issue 38, September 15, 2004

• Determine the competency of low-volume providers

  Medical services professionals, department chairs, and credentials committee members in hospitals...

• NCQA’s new program to highlight innovative health plans

  The NCQA has released draft standards for "Quality Plus," its new optional accreditation program...

Issue 37, September 8, 2004

• The importance of applicant interviews

  During the 1980s, many medical staffs adopted a policy requiring every medical staff applicant to...

• Hospitals to see an average $2,700 increase for JCAHO survey

  Hospitals can expect to pay an average $2,700 more for their triennial JCAHO survey starting in...

Issue 36, September 2, 2004

• Professionalism or turfism? UAE makes the headlines

  Innovative interventional radiologists are taking a new clinical approach to uterine artery...

Issue 35, August 25, 2004

• Guard against credentials mischief

  A small, sole-provider community hospital is lucky to have two radiologists on its 42-person...

• Massachusetts panel makes recommendations for weight-loss surgery

  Last year, in the wake of several patient deaths, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health...

Issue 34, August 18, 2004

• Separate medical staff membership from clinical privileges

  When faced with an initial application or reapplication submitted by a low- or no-volume provider...

• JCAHO to increase survey fees in 2005

  Hold onto your pocketbook, the JCAHO says it will increase survey fees for all its accreditation...

Issue 33, August 11, 2004

• Retain critical medical staff and hospital documents

  Medical staff offices often have trouble finding storage space for all their medical staff...

• Florida woman charged with practicing without a license

  A woman, who was not a licensed nurse, administered anesthesia in a cosmetic surgery clinic in...

Issue 32, August 4, 2004

• Why you need a privileging policy to address new technology

  The delineation of clinical privileges continues to be one of the most complex issues facing...

• JCAHO seeks comment on expanding primary source verification

  The JCAHO is seeking comment from healthcare organizations on a proposed change to its standards...

Issue 31, July 29, 2004

• Privileges to refer and follow

  There is little question that the manner in which many physicians practice their profession is in a...

• Credentialing/privileging issues a factor in some infant deaths or injuries

  Credentialing, privileging, and supervision issues for physicians and nurse midwives were...

Issue 30, July 21, 2004

• Three reasons to endorse core privileging

  Considering the limitations to the traditional approaches to privileges delineation, healthcare...

• JCAHO surveyors fail to identify critical deficiencies

  Two lawmakers on July 20 introduced legislation that would give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

Issue 29, July 14, 2004

• What to do about those confounding application gaps

  The application is received and it seems complete, but upon closer review the medical staff...

• Filmmaker Michael Moore to turn camera on U.S. healthcare

  Michael Moore, whose controversial movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" is setting box office records for a...

Issue 28, July 8, 2004

• Board approval of credentialing and privileging policies

  Recently I have received a number of requests for advice concerning board review and approval of...

• NCQA makes physician quality data available on Web site

  The NCQA has added a new, searchable database to its Web site that allows visitors to search for...

Issue 27, July 2, 2004

• What is economic credentialing?

  Dear credentialing colleagues: Credentialing is the practice through which physicians and...

• JCAHO looks at expanding primary source verification

  Keep an eye out for this potential change from the JCAHO-the accreditor is looking at a proposed...

Issue 26, June 23, 2004

• Just how good are criminal records databases?

  According to a recent article in the "Indianapolis Star", the state of Indiana's criminal records...

• JCAHO quality reports go public in July

  Starting July 15, the public will have more access to information about your hospital via the...

Issue 25, June 16, 2004

• Questions to ask an applicant in a clinical interview

  A hospital's credentials committee undertakes the most searching and systematic of all reviews when...

• Court says New Jersey can go public with malpractice data

  A court decision will allow the state of New Jersey to make medical malpractice data for physicians...

Issue 24, June 9, 2004

• Six tips to create effective policies

  Over the past decade, hospital medical staffs and administrators have had to tackle an increasingly...

• Physician credentialing case seeks reinstatement and money

  A New York physician has filed a lawsuit seeking not only court-ordered reinstatement of his...

Issue 23, June 2, 2004

• What to do about low- and no-volume physicians

  Allergists, dermatologists, family and internal medicine specialists, plastic surgeons...

• How HIPAA are you?

  Although the compliance deadline for the HIPAA security rule is still almost a year away, the...

Issue 22, May 27, 2004

• Legislation on drawing board to expand NPDB to nurses and others

  The United States is home to over three million licensed or registered healthcare professionals.

• JCAHO seeks input on proposed standards

  The JCAHO wants to know what hospital leaders think about its proposed standards for a new...

Issue 21, May 19, 2004

• Great credentials committees are made not born

  What characteristics do truly effective credentials committees share and what lessons might others...

• Privileging remains a top compliance problem in JCAHO surveys

  Complying with the JCAHO’s timeframe for granting privileges was a top problem standard for...

Issue 20, May 12, 2004

• New medical liability bill up for debate

  Two long-term care associations -- the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National...

Issue 19, May 5, 2004

• Three reasons for credentialing

  The primary purpose of credentialing is patient safety. Industry expert Lee Dockerty, MD, former...

• Ex-nurse pleads guilty in 13 patient murders

  Ex-nurse pleads guilty in 13 patient murders

Issue 18, April 27, 2004

• No exceptions to this rule

  No exceptions to this rule

• AHA task force looks at specialty hospitals

  AHA task force looks at specialty hospitals

Issue 17, April 21, 2004

• Determining competency of AHPs at reappraisal

  Determining competency of AHPs at reappraisal

• JCAHO to begin certifying health care staffing firms

  JCAHO to begin certifying health care staffing firms

Issue 16, April 14, 2004

• This news makes MSSPs' job easier

  This news makes MSSPs' job easier

• Medical tort bill fails again

  Medical tort bill fails again

Issue 15, April 8, 2004

• Symposium will focus on MSSPs' responsibilities

  Symposium will focus on MSSPs' responsibilities

• Panel finds Medicare payments to HMOs higher than traditional Medicare costs

  Panel finds Medicare payments to HMOs higher than traditional Medicare costs

Issue 14, April 1, 2004

• Take a close look at privileging for bariatric surgery

  Take a close look at privileging for bariatric surgery

• Montana removes physician supervision for CRNAs

  Montana removes physician supervision for CRNAs

Issue 13, March 24, 2004

• New equivalent sources for credentialing physician assistants

  New equivalent sources for credentialing physician assistants

• CMS releases guidance for specialty hospital moratorium

  CMS releases guidance for specialty hospital moratorium

Issue 12, March 17, 2004

• Monitor clinical activity to match privileges

  Under most states’ regulations--as well as JCAHO and Healthcare Facilities Accreditation...

• Physicians drop lawsuit against OhioHealth hospitals

  Physicians drop lawsuit against OhioHealth hospitals

Issue 11, March 10, 2004

• Five lessons for living and working

  The chair of a medical staff cultural diversity committee chair once told me about "five everyday...

• Virginia launches service that tracks license status

  Virginia launches service that tracks license status

Issue 10, March 4, 2004

• Is it acceptable to fax orders to the physician and have him or her fax it back?

  My long-term care (LTC) centers are having a hard time getting treatment orders back within seven...

• Provide enough data in reappointment profiles

  Medical staff services professionals need to pay close attention to the data they make available in...

• Reappointment is not a quality control mechanism

  It has been suggested in the past that hospitals must strengthen their reappointment process and...

• Massachusetts streamlines physician credentialing

  Several Massachusetts organizations have worked together to help streamline physician credentialing...

Issue 9, February 27, 2004

• How can I verify the certifications of a provider who attended a foreign school?

  I have a provider who attended a foreign medical school, but he is not certified through the...

• Don't be pressured into privileging for new technology

  Don't be pressured into privileging for new technology

• Next challenge: Unannounced surveys

  Next challenge: Unannounced surveys

• Bill that would limit ob-gyn liability falters

  Bill that would limit ob-gyn liability falters

Issue 8, February 20, 2004

• Don't let recruitment efforts compromise credentialing

  This week, let’s look at the current clash between hospital efforts to recruit physicians to...

• Five medical facilities face lawsuit in 'killer nurse' case

  Five medical facilities were named in a lawsuit for negligently failing to notify a New Jersey...

Issue 7, February 12, 2004

• Use common sense in deciding reappointments

  This one beats them all. Today I received a call from a new vice president of medical affairs...

Issue 6, February 9, 2004

• HR can take a lesson from credentials professionals

  HR can take a lesson from credentials professionals

Issue 3, January 14, 2004

• What you can do about low-volume or non-active physicians

  What you can do about low-volume or non-active physicians

Issue 2, January 12, 2004

• Credentialing and the hidden risk of gastric bypass surgery

  Credentialing and the hidden risk of gastric bypass surgery

Issue 1, January 28, 2004

• Credentialing and human resources

  Credentialing and human resources