Wednesday, May 1, 2013

amednews.com: Calming a hospital culture clash

Bridging communication gaps between medical staffs and hospitals can prevent unnecessary lawsuits.

Alicia Gallegos, amednews staff, April 29, 2013

After two years, a heated dispute between Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center and its medical staff finally came to a head in 2012. The conflict arose from a set of amended bylaws the center's administration wanted to enact. The medical staff refused to approve the bylaws and recommended a separate set of bylaws.

“At that point, we had reached an impasse, because the medical staff bylaws can't be amended without the medical staff and the governing body's approval,” said Bernard Duco Jr., chief legal officer for Memorial Hermann Health System, based in Houston.

Instead of moving toward litigation or allowing the dispute to fester, the hospital and medical staff engaged in a conflict intervention. Leaders from both sides agreed to a series of sit-down sessions to discuss their concerns. They reached a compromise on several major issues.

Read the rest at amednews.com.

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