QUESTION: We have some advanced practice nurses and physician’s assistants who are lobbying to become members of the Medical Staff. Some physicians support the idea, but others aren’t so sure. What are you seeing out there?
ANSWER: In our experience, most Medical Staffs are composed of physicians, dentists, oral surgeons and, increasingly, podiatrists. In some states, it is required that others be appointed to the staff, such as psychologists in Ohio. State laws still vary. For example, in Pennsylvania, a hospital wanting to include podiatrists must seek an exception from the Department of Health, but it is readily granted.
As CMS has amended the Conditions of Participation and Interpretive Guidelines in recent years, the door has been opened:
§482.22(a) Standard: Eligibility and Process for Appointment to Medical Staff
The medical staff must be composed of doctors of medicine or osteopathy. In accordance with State law, including scope-of-practice laws, the medical staff may also include other categories of physicians (as listed at §482.12(c)(1)) and non-physician practitioners who are determined to be eligible for appointment by the governing body.
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Interpretive Guidelines §482.22(a) The hospital’s governing body has the responsibility, consistent with State law, including scope-of-practice laws, to determine which types/categories of physicians and, if it so chooses, non-physician practitioners or other licensed healthcare professionals (collectively referred to in this guidance as “practitioners”) may be privileged to provide care to hospital patients. All practitioners who require privileges in order to furnish care to hospital patients must be evaluated under the hospital’s medical staff privileging system before the hospital’s governing body may grant them privileges. All practitioners granted medical staff privileges must function under the bylaws, regulations and rules of the hospital’s medical staff. The privileges granted to an individual practitioner must be consistent with State scope-of-practice laws.
CMS provided the following statement in 2014:
For Information Only – Not Required/Not to be Cited
CMS expects that all practitioners granted privileges are also appointed as members of the medical staff. However, if State law limits the composition of the hospital’s medical staff to certain categories of practitioners, e.g., only physician practitioners, there is nothing in the CoPs that prohibits hospitals and their medical staffs from establishing certain practice privileges for those specific categories of non-physician practitioners excluded from medical staff membership under State law, or from granting those privileges to individual practitioners in those categories, as long as such privileges are recommended by the medical staff, approved by the governing body, and in accordance with State law. (79 FR 27114-27115, May 12, 2014)
Today, it is becoming more common for a category to be added to the Bylaws for Advanced Practice Clinicians, and APCs may serve on committees with vote.
Join Barbara Blackmond and Josh Hodges for the next Grand Rounds audio conference on June 4, “Q&A on Advanced Practice Clinicians,” where they will discuss practical issues, including credentialing, privileging, peer review, collaborative practice in states allowing independent practice for some APCs, the role in emergency call, hearing rights and emerging issues, such as the role of APCs in admission, discharge, and consults.