Follow-up: More tips for dealing with practitioners who won't take the credentialing process seriously
In response to a reader question, the April 11 issue of CVU offered three tips for medical staff professionals (MSPs) in dealing with uncooperative physicians during the credentialing process. We've heard from more of you who have successful strategies of your own. Below, we share your colleagues' tips.
Tip 4: When physicians or allied health professionals don't complete applications or requested documents in a timely manner, I call their office and state that I am just calling to confirm that they wish to relinquish their appointment and privileges at our facility. That usually gets a very quick response, unless they actually do want to relinquish.
For new applicants, I call the group that the practitioner is joining and let them know that the application is incomplete because the practitioner is not cooperating with our office. Therefore, we cannot process it further.
If the division chief or department chair is the uncooperative party, I have gone to the chief medical officer and asked him to speak with them. If that still does not produce results, I have gone to the president of the medical staff and asked him to talk to the division chief/chair. The president then asks the division chief/chair if he or she needs to step down from the position and have a new chair or chief elected-one who can adhere to this important process.
-Sherry L. Shadduck, CPCS, director of medical staff services; Hamot Medical Center, Erie PA
Tip 5: We send uncooperative physicians a final certified letter stating that failure to respond by a specific date will be interpreted as a request for voluntary resignation from the staff. We also ensure that the physician's office manager is aware that the letter was sent and we document this (often, non-certified communications from the MSO never get to the physician).We further state in the letter that if a voluntary resignation is made due to a lack of response, the practitioner will have to reapply to the medical staff and incur all of the fees, including the hospital fees (we use a credentialing verification organization). Physicians who want to maintain their privileges usually respond.
-Jean Kerns, director of medical staff services; St. Mary's Hospital, Richmond, VA
Tip 6: I have established a phone or e-mail relationship with the office manager at the physician's clinic. As a result, they are usually very helpful in getting applications and other information returned by my deadline.
-Sharon Pankratz, medical staff coordinator; Pratt Regional Medical Center, Pratt, KS
If you have a tip or successful strategy pertaining to any part of the credentialing or verification process that you'd like to share, please email it to CVU at mcoler@hcpro.com.
