NAMSS Supports Task Force Revision of MS.1.20 (now MS.01.01.01)

The Joint Commission released a final revision of MS.1.20 in 2007 to address conflict in hospitals where members of the Medical Staff felt that the Medical Executive Committee no longer represented their interests. In 2008, The Joint Commission formed the MS.1.20 Task Force to address field concerns regarding the rationale, implementation, and language of the standard. This year, Task Force completed a proposed revision of MS.1.20 (now MS.01.01.01).

NAMSS commends the work of the MS.1.20 Task Force convened by The Joint Commission to create a workable compromise to the original revision, balancing elements that increase the voice of the Medical Staff, while promoting efficient hospital administration and governance. Past President Carol Ostermann, CPMSM, CPCS, represented NAMSS on the Task Force. Other groups represented on the Task Force include the American Medical Association, American Dental Association, American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, American College of Surgeons, and the American College of Physicians.

While the latest revision may require some bylaws changes in a number of facilities, we believe that it is a large improvement over the previous version, which potentially required a burdensome amount of policies and procedures to be placed within the medical staff bylaws. Improvements to the new proposal include:

• Details of policies and procedures can be included in separate documents, rather than in the Medical Staff bylaws
• The Medical Staff can delegate approval of policies and procedures to the Medical Executive Committee

The Joint Commission has given the Task Force organizations the opportunity to conduct field reviews of the proposed revision among their members. Each organization has been asked to provide The Joint Commission with their membership response by October 15, 2009. Based on this feedback, The Joint Commission will determine whether or not the proposed revision will be released to the entire field for review.

NAMSS has requested that The Joint Commission consider all comments and concerns voiced through the process and is willing to assist with any further revision or clarification after all responses have been collected and evaluated. NAMSS also intends to provide educational resources to the membership to help you understand the revision and how to implement it in your facility.

NAMSS appreciated the opportunity to work with The Joint Commission and the members of the Task Force in a participatory process to ensure that MS.01.01.01 works toward the goal of providing safe, quality patient care. We hope to continue working with The Joint Commission and other organizations to ensure that the perspective of the medical services professional is included in the development of healthcare policies.

The Joint Commission’s official announcement can be found in the July 15 issue of Joint Commission Online and in the next issue of Perspectives.

A link to the proposed revision and survey was sent to the membership via e-mail and will be posted on the NAMSS website in the coming days.

If you have any questions or comments regarding MS.01.01.01, NAMSS’ position on the proposed standard, or did not receive the original eBlast announcement, contact Christine Perez at cperez@namss.org.