Supporting Safer Healthcare

The January issue of Vanity Fair features an article by Buzz Bissinger about Mark Weinberger, an Indiana surgeon who spent three years in the Italian Alps evading millions of dollars in debt, family problems, and more than 350 malpractice suits. Evidence presented in the malpractice cases claims that Dr. Weinberger defrauded insurance companies and injured patients by recommending and performing [...]

A scan of recent tweets by various healthcare writers led to a couple of thought-provoking articles regarding the pitfalls of social media, one was via  Kevin Pho, the other Ves Dimov.  #1 - Human Resources and Medical Staff Credentialers Beware: The applicant looks promising, you think he/she may be a good fit for the organization.  Whether you’re seeking to [...]

Here are a few recent Joint Commission FAQ’s related to medical staff standards: Q. Are organizations required to verify affiliations at other health care organizations, and if yes, for how many years back must the verifications be done? Answer Q. Can organizations use data from outside organizations in lieu of collecting their own data to [...]

This is a reminder to those who need to recertify this year with the National Association Medical Staff Services:  (Those who received initial certification in 1980, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004 or 2007. ) Deadline: December 1, 2010   Fees: Single Certification NAMSS Member $100 Non-Member $250 Dual Certification NAMSS Member $125 [...]

Emily Berry’s HcPro Credentialing Resource Center Blog asks an important question in a recent post: “It’s not uncommon for practitioners to hold privileges at more than one facility. But can a practitioner’s ambitions put patient care in jeopardy? Should medical staffs set a limit on how many different facilities they allow their privileged practitioners to [...]

Most hospitals provide commercial software for their credentialing staff, and that’s good.  With so many deadlines, documents, providers, and privileges to track, trustworthy software is essential.   With the potential penalties for missing just one important document or deadline, keeping up with daily tasks can be daunting. In my role as a consultant I have observed that many medical staff professionals, particularly those with limited access to IT [...]

November 7-13, 2010 is National Medical Staff Services Awareness Week. The Medical Staff Service Professionals in your organization are, as this year’s NAMSS Awareness week poster suggests, the front line for patient safety.  By staying abreast of current standards, regulations and laws, your MSP’s are able to thoroughly verify the credentials, education and training of the [...]

The Ohio State Medical Association has posted guidelines for physicians who use social media.  “Social Networking and the Medical Practice.”  If your hospital or practice needs to develop or update a social media policy for medical providers, this guide is a great place to start.

Our days. or in some cases our nights, are spent with co-workers.  The desire to collaborate with compassionate, intelligent people led me to a career in healthcare, and over the past 25+ years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some phenomenal individuals. Some have been physicians; both those who have cared for family and for me, as well as those with whom [...]

Adverse actions taken against providers in healthcare often involve mandatory reporting to one or more agencies.  Many organizations fail to report, either because they are hesitant to report actions taken for fear of being sued over an error, or because staff members are not well educated about reporting requirements. It’s not just hospitals that struggle with keeping abreast of all the various [...]