Introduction

Making The Most Of Your Relationship With… Impaired Physician Programs and Others Who Treat Physicians

May 5, 2020 - 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (ET)

Making The Most Of Your Relationship With…
Impaired Physician Programs and Others Who Treat Physicians

May 5, 2020

Faculty:

Charles Chulack and Phil Zarone

Topics:

Is it wise to replace our practitioner health program with an automatic referral to the state-selected or state-run “impaired physician program”? If a practitioner completes such a program — and is under a monitoring contract for a period of time thereafter, do we need to do anything besides verifying he or she is in compliance with the program prior to reinstating the physician from a leave of absence?

If an impaired physician program will not answer the Medical Staff leadership’s questions or provide requested records, is there anything we can do?

If the hospital becomes aware that a physician has developed a health condition that could affect his or her ability to practice, but the practitioner has not requested a leave of absence nor had any adverse outcomes, is there anything the Medical Staff leaders need to do? Is “watch and wait” a good plan?

If the Medical Staff leadership asks a practitioner to provide information about his or her ability to practice safely, is a “one-liner” letter from the physician’s PCP sufficient to satisfy the request? How can the Medical Staff leadership avoid a game of cat and mouse when trying to get to the bottom of health concerns?

If a practitioner is asked to obtain an evaluation of his or her health, can and should the Medical Staff leadership convey its concerns about the practitioner (that prompted the request for evaluation) to the evaluator?

What type of authorization do you need from a practitioner in order to obtain his or her health information from a treatment program or treating practitioner? When should the leadership obtain that authorization?

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this audio conference, participants should be able to:

Identify the pros and cons of referring Medical Staff members to state-run impaired physician or practitioner health programs.
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Implement strategies to ensure that Medical Staff leaders get all of the information they need to resolve their concerns about the health of a colleague who has been referred to evaluation or treatment.

Education Credit

Instructions on how to obtain your Continuing Education certificate for audio conferences will be e-mailed to the contact person for your organization at the conclusion of each audio conference.

Category 1 CME

Joint Provider Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and HortySpringer Seminars. The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CEUs Credit

Other health care professionals are awarded 0.1 continuing education units (CEUs), which is equal to 1 contact hour.

NAMSS Continuing Education Credit

This course has been approved for National Association of Medical Staff Services (NAMSS) continuing education credit and NAMSS hereby awards 1.0 NAMSS continuing education credits for participation in this activity. Accreditation of this educational content in no way implies endorsement or sponsorship by NAMSS.

HortySpringer Audio Conference Disclaimer

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The information presented during an audio conference and any supplementary materials provided to registrants are intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing contained therein is to be considered as the rendering of legal advice for specific cases or circumstances.

No one should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information presented during an audio conference without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer practicing as permitted by applicable laws, regulations or rules of professional conduct. No attorney-client relationship is formed by registration for an audio conference or the use of the supplementary materials.

About Grand Rounds

The Grand Rounds 2020 Series consists of twelve audio conferences spread over the course of the year, with the goal of providing focused, manageable bites of education for Medical Staff leaders and those who support them.

This year’s series is focused on helping physician leaders utilize resources outside the Medical Staff in a manner that achieves the best results for patients and Medical Staff members.

Each of the 2020 Grand Rounds Series of Audio Conferences are offered the first Tuesday of each month from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

Registration includes an MP3 containing the audio conference at no additional charge following each conference.

CME credit issued for live conference participation.

* Registration fee includes one phone line; you may add up to two additional lines to your order for $50 each line (per audio conference).

Designed for even the busiest hospital and medical staff leaders, registration for the year-long series is a quick and inexpensive way for Medical Staff Officers, members of the Medical Executive Committee, Department Chairs, Chairs of the Credentials and Peer Review Committees, and the Chairs of other key Medical Staff committees to have access to the most up-to-date health care information at their fingertips while obtaining valuable CME credits as well.