The "Independent" Medical Staff –
What Would It Really Mean? Audio CD
   Recorded April 6, 2004
   1:00 - 2:30 pm (Eastern Time)

Faculty: Barbara Blackmond and Dan Mulholland

Hospital-physician relationships have always had their ups and downs. But lately, some voices have begun to whisper in the ears of medical staff leaders that maybe things would be better if the medical staff declared independence from the hospital by separately incorporating and controlling all credentialing, peer review and quality assurance activities.

While this notion has appeal to some doctors who are sincere about improving patient care and feel this can best be done by physicians alone, without administrative or board "interference," all too often, the concept of an independent staff is pushed by those with a personal agenda - subpar practitioners looking to thwart meaningful peer review, economic competitors of the hospital looking to hide conflicts of interest, or those who hold exclusive contracts seeking to protect their interests.

Not only is this idea of a medical staff that functions as a completely separate organization from its hospital a legal non sequitur, it would spell absolute disaster for the physicians on the medical staff. It also puts medical staff leaders in legal jeopardy.

Barb and Dan discuss the following topics:

• The legal status of the medical staff – what the courts and other authorities have said.
• Self-governance vs. independence – a big difference.
• How to separate special interests from common purposes.
• Who would pay to set the medical staff up on its own?
• Liability for privileging disputes and negligent credentialing if the medical staff was independent.
• Would peer review privileges and immunities apply?
• Responsibility of an independent medical staff to indemnify the hospital.
• Would an independent medical staff ever get insurance?
• What your bylaws ought to say.

This audio CD is a must for every CEO, Chief of Staff and physician executive. In fact, we suggest that you get your whole Board and MEC a CD to play at their next meeting.

This issue is (unfortunately) not going away, and anyone in a leadership position (as well as your hospital counsel) should be armed with the facts to address it when it comes up. Otherwise, your physicians could be swayed by the siren song of staff separatists, who might cause them to flounder on dangerous legal shoals of this discredited theory.

Registration Fee: $220
(Fee includes $25 hook-up and long distance charges.)

With registration, audio CDs are available for an additional $50.

Audio CD only: $195

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With purchase, you will receive online access to
supplementary materials.

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