Question Of The Week

July 26, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        A physician on our staff has made numerous inappropriate entries into our patients’ medical records. These include scathing critiques of other practitioners and even nasty comments about his patients and their families.  While we have approached him several times to inform him that a patient’s medical record is not an appropriate forum for these comments, he claims he has the First Amendment right to put whatever he wants to in the records, and continues to do so. What can we do?

ANSWER:            Regulatory and accreditation standards make it clear that medical records should only be used to document objective clinical information relative to a patient’s care. Inappropriate editorial statements in a patient’s medical record that are used to be critical of the patient, other providers, or even the hospital itself do not advance the care of a patient and may create increased legal risks to everyone involved in that patient’s care.

A physician who has a complaint or concern regarding the care being provided by any other individual should be advised that the medical record is not the proper forum for addressing those concerns and should then be directed to the appropriate medical staff or administrative channels to report them.   Most times, providing this education and counseling to the physician is sufficient to resolve the issue.  However, if the inappropriate entries continue, then the matter should be referred for review under the medical staff’s Professionalism Policy or Code of Conduct.

Be sure to join Barbara Blackmond and Ian Donaldson for The Complete Course for Medical Staff Leaders, where we will cover practical, real-world approaches to managing unprofessional behaviors that can frustrate even the most experienced medical staff leaders.

July 19, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        We have two physicians in two different specialties, all four of whom have been willing to take emergency call two days each week, but they have announced that they want their employed advanced practice clinicians (“APCs”) to take their call on weekend days; they are no longer willing personally to take any call on weekends.  ED visits are rare in one of those specialties but common in the other.   Does that comply with EMTALA?

ANSWER:            According to CMS, hospitals must have specialty call schedules that meet the needs of patients in the community.  With only two physicians in any specialty, a reasonable call schedule can be developed with arrangements to transfer patients on the days (known in advance) when those specialists are not on call.  CMS will consider “all relevant factors” in determining compliance, and would expect that the call schedule be based on data showing when patients seek care in the ED for the specialties represented on the medical staff.  Are these specialists on call for their own practices on weekends?  That would be a factor to be considered per CMS.  Another hospital to which patients in need of a specialist on a weekend are transferred might report your hospital, leading to an investigation.  The specialists’ refusal to provide any weekend call thus could put the hospital in jeopardy.  CMS allows APCs to participate in the response to call pursuant to policies adopted by a hospital board.  However, CMS does not permit APCs to be listed on the call roster independently (even if they can practice independently in your state). CMS likely would not accept the inclusion of the APCs on the call schedule in lieu of a physician specialist (despite the newer language in the CMS Conditions of Participation and Interpretive Guidelines calling for APCs to have a greater role on the medical staff).  If a patient presents on a weekend in an emergency medical condition, needing the care of the specialist who employs (and supervises/collaborates with) the APC, the physician would be responsible to come in if the ED physician determines that the specialist is needed personally.  (That could be a condition of the grant of privileges.)  It would be best to convene a working group of physician leaders (including an ED physician), the management team, counsel, risk management and at least one Board member to review data showing when patients present to the ED in need of various specialties, and the relative burden among the specialties on the staff. That group can develop a compliant plan.  The risks are significant so it behooves every organization to develop a policy.

Be sure to join Ian Donaldson and Barbara Blackmond for The Complete Course for Medical Staff Leaders!  We cover EMTALA basics, as well as solutions to common dilemmas, in an entertaining way.

July 12, 2018

Posted on by jwilbert

QUESTION:        In light of Oklahoma’s recent legalization of the use of medical marijuana, we are reminded that they join a majority of states that have already done so, begging the question of how does this affect the workplace and what requirements are placed on employers to accommodate the use of medical marijuana?

ANSWER:           The answer to this question is unfortunately not simple, but rather varies state to state.  As the laws pertaining to use of medical marijuana are unique to each state, so too are the laws governing the workplace and an employer’s duty to accommodate for such use.  Although Oklahoma has yet to address the effect its legalization may have on the workplace, states that have been faced with these issues may lend some guidance.  Some states, such as Georgia and Washington, have legalized use of medical marijuana but still permit employers to have a written zero tolerance policy prohibiting the on-duty and off-duty use of marijuana.  Other states, such as Arizona and Pennsylvania, prohibit employers from taking any adverse action against an employee for use of medical marijuana.  Importantly, those states that may prohibit adverse actions for an employee’s use of medical marijuana tend not to impose any affirmative duty on the employer to accommodate that employee’s usage.  Further, there are some states that disallow such adverse actions, yet do not prohibit employers from banning the use of such substances during work hours or on the work premises.  Not to be forgotten are the states that either have not yet legalized medical marijuana use or that have not addressed its effect on the workplace, namely Oklahoma.

As exhibited, these laws are not so cut and dry; making it important to take a deeper look into what exactly is and is not required of the employer.  With the ever-growing popularity and shift toward legalization of medical marijuana use in the country, it is important to remain aware of your state’s stance on usage as well as any prohibitions or requirements placed on the employer when legalized.

July 5, 2018

Posted on by jwilbert

QUESTION:        Our On-Call Policy requires physicians to have 30 admissions or operating cases at the hospital per year to participate in the on-call schedule.  The Policy also gives discretion to the department chairs, who develop the call schedules, to limit the ability of a particular physician to participate in the schedule for a number of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with the quality of care being provided.  Do these provisions in our Policy pose any legal concerns?

ANSWER:            Yes.  First, conditioning participation in the call schedule on admissions at, or procedures done in, the hospital could be interpreted as conditioning participation on referrals to the hospital.  Such a requirement could present compliance issues with the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.  In Supplemental Compliance Program Guidance for Hospitals, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) cautioned that “conditioning privileges on a particular number of referrals or requiring the performance of a particular number of procedures, beyond volumes necessary to ensure clinical proficiency, potentially raise substantial risks under the [Anti-Kickback] statute.”  Some state courts have found that participation on the call-coverage roster constitutes a “privilege.”

June 28, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        What happens if a member of our Medical Executive Committee is unable to attend a meeting?  Should we require that member to designate a substitute and, if so, should the process for choosing a substitute be written into our medical staff bylaws?

ANSWER:            Generally speaking, it is usually unnecessary to require members to send a substitute to cover their absence from a Medical Executive Committee meeting.  While you certainly want people to attend and be engaged at meetings, an occasional absence is unlikely to affect matters substantially.

There are also certain drawbacks that come with designating substitutes to attend as alternates in case of an absence.  For example, the substitute must be educated on all of the confidentiality requirements that attach to membership on an important committee.  In addition, the substitute may lack the necessary background and training to understand the full significance of a particular decision (since he or she will only attend the meetings sporadically).  This can potentially lessen the effectiveness of the committee.

If it is especially important for a particular set of views to be represented, you can always invite that person to present his or her perspective to the committee.  To allow for this, we often add language in Medical Staff Bylaws that states:  “Other individuals may be invited to Medical Executive Committee meetings as guests, without vote.”  This gives you the option to bring in others as necessary, but does not mandate that a substitute cover every absence.

 

June 21, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        A physician who has been on our staff for only a few months has been experiencing complications, with several cases falling out.  So, as part of the initial FPPE, I (as the new Service Line Chief) called this physician into a collegial intervention meeting. He showed up with the head of his group practice, who is not a member of any medical staff committees. When I said that the meeting was a confidential peer review meeting, both physicians left. Now what? Was I right or did I miss an opportunity?

ANSWER:            You are correct that collegial intervention meetings are confidential and that individuals who are not members of an authorized peer review committee should generally not be present. All medical staff members have an obligation to work constructively and cooperatively in the peer review process. This should be covered in new physician orientation, as well as in a statement of expectations that is provided to applicants (and also sent along with the letter of appointment, to be signed by the newly appointed physician).

However, a new medical staff member, especially one who is right out of training, may not be aware of or understand the requirements for Focused Professional Practice Evaluation for all new privileges and may be fearful that collegial intervention is actually a disciplinary step. That’s why it’s important for leaders to emphasize the nature of collegial intervention and performance improvement. Of course, leaders engaging in collegial intervention must be authorized by a peer review committee structured in a manner to fall within the protections of the applicable state peer review law.

There may be times when participation of a respected physician mentor who could serve as moral support for a new physician might make sense, with certain safeguards. You could consider telling the new staff member that he may be accompanied by the head of his group, so long as the head of the group signs a peer review confidentiality agreement. Some state peer review laws explicitly cover group practices as well as hospital medical staff committees; and, in some health systems, information sharing policies encompass affiliated group practices.  This would offer added protection.  (You may also want to be accompanied by another authorized leader, perhaps a vice chief or chair of the peer review committee.)

The purpose of a collegial intervention meeting is to emphasize that the medical staff leadership strives to help all physicians be successful so long as they are willing and able to do what it takes. Leaders may need to remind the head of the group of the expectations for all members, and educate the head of the group who may have had no leadership experience, about the peer review process and the applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.  If both are willing to participate constructively, this approach may help de-escalate the situation.

Join us for The Complete Course for Medical Staff Leaders in San Francisco, as we help new leaders understand their roles and prepare for success.

June 14, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        We have an applicant for medical staff appointment who disclosed on her application that she was under probation for a time during her residency.  Despite our requests, she has refused to provide any additional information related to this matter.  She also has declined to authorize the site of her residency to release any information to us.

We have language in our bylaws stating that the burden is on the applicant to provide any information requested, or his or her application will be held as incomplete.  Is this a situation where we can enforce this provision?

 

ANSWER:            Most definitely.  Holding an application as “incomplete” is one of the best tools you have as a credentialer.  And when it comes to enforcing such a provision, the case law is on your side.

Numerous courts have held that a hospital can refuse to process an application that is incomplete.  For example, in a case with facts very similar to the situation described above, an Illinois appeals court held that an applicant must

“provid[e] all information deemed necessary by the hospital…as a condition precedent to the hospital’s obligation to process the application.”

Similarly, in a case where a physician up for reappointment refused to release information on pending malpractice claims, an appeals court in Tennessee ruled in favor of the hospital, finding that that application for medical staff membership clearly required the physician to assist in providing the information necessary to determine his qualifications.

June 7, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        Our hospital affiliated group signed an employment contract with a new surgeon.  Before we got very far with the credentialing process, he had moved to town and the Chief Medical Officer of the Group was putting pressure on the Credentials Committee to approve his application for appointment.  The problem is that there were multiple red flags we discovered, including a pending complaint with the state board, a very bad reference, and unexplained gaps in his professional experience.  If he had not been employed by our Group already, we would definitely not want to appoint him.  To make matters worse, we just learned that he resigned his appointment at the last hospital where he practiced and he’s in town.  What do we do?

 

ANSWER:            We hear some version of this problem on a regular basis from clients all across the country.  In many hospitals and health care systems, the recruitment and employment process are out of alignment with the credentialing process.  It is not uncommon (although it is very unwise) for employment decisions to be made, signing bonuses to be paid, and representations to be made to new recruits of the credentialing process being a “slam dunk” or a “done deal” before the Credentials Committee has reviewed the application.

Everyone who is applying for appointment must meet the same threshold eligibility criteria.  Everyone must bear the burden of demonstrating that they have the requisite:  (a) current competence; (b) technical skills; (c) clinical judgment; (d) adherence to the ethics of their profession; (e) good reputation and character; (f) ability to safely and competently exercise the clinical privileges requested; and (g) ability to work harmoniously with others.  When there are questions or concerns raised about an applicant, the application should be considered incomplete and not processed until those concerns are resolved.

Your credentialing process is the foundation for the quality of care that you deliver in your organization.  You should not take shortcuts or make exceptions, especially for employed physicians.  As hard as it might be, and as much pressure as they might feel, Medical Staff Leaders need to stay the course.  It is important that applicants are treated the same, regardless of whether they are being recruited and employed by the system or they are in private practice.  Keeping the burden on the applicant to address and resolve all concerns is the best course of action.  Medical Staff Leaders should also document, in detail, the concerns that they have.

Moving forward, find a way to align and coordinate your recruitment and credentialing efforts.  Bringing the people together who are responsible for these functions is an important first step.  Efforts should be undertaken to coordinate threshold criteria, objectives, and timelines.  It is also important to find a way to share information early on so the people who are doing the recruiting have the same information that Medical Staff Leaders will have when reviewing the application.  Whether they are working to recruit or credential physicians, the objectives should be the same – bringing high quality physicians into the organization in as timely a fashion as possible.

Please join us in our national program – Credentialing for Excellence – where we discuss this challenge and other credentialing challenges.

May 31, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        The case description in McGary v. Williamsport Reg’l Med. Ctr. references the fact that a hospital “denied” a physician’s application for failure to meet threshold eligibility criteria.  Is that really a “denial”?  Isn’t there a better way?

ANSWER:            YES, there is a better way.  Medical Staff bylaws or credentials policies should clearly incorporate the concept of “eligibility” to apply for appointment and/or clinical privileges and should include a comprehensive list of objective eligibility criteria that must be met in order for an applicant to be considered eligible.  The threshold eligibility criteria should address both appointment qualifications (things like not having had a license revoked by a state agency) as well as privilege qualifications (things like the volume requirements at issue in the case, or additional certifications).   The provision should clearly allow for the determination that an applicant is not eligible for appointment and state that applications from individuals who do not meet the threshold eligibility criteria will not be processed.

Incorporating such a step into the bylaws would require that individuals who request applications be sent a request for application form that outlines, in detail, the threshold eligibility criteria for appointment, and requests that the applicant provide proof that he or she meets those threshold criteria.  Alternatively, if the idea of incorporating a two-step request for application process is too onerous, this could also be accomplished by sending a detailed cover letter with the application form that sets out the eligibility criteria.  Those individuals who do not meet the “threshold” criteria for Medical Staff appointment and clinical privileges should be informed that they are ineligible to receive an application or to apply for staff appointment and privileges.  The bylaws should also clearly state that a determination that someone is ineligible to apply is not a “denial” of appointment that entitles the individual to a hearing, nor is it reportable to the state licensure agency or the National Practitioner Data Bank.

 

May 24, 2018

Posted on by hortyspringer

QUESTION:        A physician new to our staff has taken it upon himself to personally “investigate” potential patient safety issues; he says that the medical staff committees are “useless.”  He is not a member of any peer review committee.  What can we do?

ANSWER:            He should be counseled and advised (in writing) of proper channels for expressing his concerns.  He should be asked to provide specifics so the matters can be reviewed.  It is reasonable for hospital and medical staff leaders to develop a statement of expectations, which can be placed into the bylaws, credentials or peer review policy, or adopted separately, requiring that all medical staff members and privileged practitioners cooperate constructively in the peer review, patient safety and performance improvement processes. Careful procedures must be followed, to track any state peer review protection statutory requirements.  It is also a fundamental principle of professionalism and respect that any practitioner who has concerns about hospital policies or other practitioners’ performance should take those concerns through appropriate channels. Otherwise, the practitioner raising these concerns could open himself or herself up to defamation claims by other practitioners whose care or practice he or she has criticized.

The peer review process depends on the willingness of all privileged practitioners to cooperate constructively. Having this responsibility set forth clearly in writing can be very helpful in the event a practitioner continues to act out inappropriately, and thus place the organization and medical staff leaders at risk. In the event an adverse action is necessary, it is best to have a solid written record that leadership reached out to the physician and provided specific directives as to avenues for presenting quality and safety concerns.  If the practitioner persists after the counseling and written follow-up, he or she could be placed on a performance improvement plan or conditional continued appointment. That way, if this practitioner decides to sue, it will be easier to defend the claim because he or she will have brought about the action by his or her own conduct.  You should, however, look into all the issues the practitioner has raised, through appropriate mechanisms.