Register for a NAMSS Webinar on the New Telemedicine Rule!

What You Need to Know About the Telemedicine Credentialing Rule
A Live Webinar Brought to You by NAMSS
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 1:00 PM EDT
Presented by Commander Scott J. Cooper, MMSc, PA-C

On May 5, 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) that will allow for a new credentialing and privileging process for physicians and practitioners providing telemedicine services. The new rule has a 60-day implementation window. This final rule gives hospitals and CAHs more flexibility in credentialing and privileging telemedicine providers. Starting July 5, 2011, the governing body of a hospital or CAH will be allowed to rely on the credentialing and privileging decisions of a distant-site hospital or telemedicine entity when making its own credentialing and privileging decisions. The rule also allows hospitals and CAHs to rely on information from non-hospital telemedicine providers such as teleradiology and other telehealth centers.

The revision is intended to make it easier for hospitals to adopt and implement telemedicine, providing patients with access to a greater range of services. But what does this mean for medical staff departments and your current credentialing and privileging practices?

Join Commander Scott J. Cooper, MMSc, PA-C of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday, June 15 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM Eastern as he walks through the final rule and answers questions.

Webinar participants will have the opportunity to ask the speaker additional questions following the presentation.

What You Will Learn:

• What is new about the revised Conditions of Participation?



• What is the difference between telemedicine, telehealth, and teleradiology?



• What should the written agreement between the hospital and telemedicine provider look like?



• What specific information must be received in order for a hospital to rely on the credentialing and privileging decisions of another entity?

Speaker:

Commander Scott J. Cooper, MMsc, PA-C is a member of the United States Public Health Service. He currently serves as a Senior Health Insurance and Policy Analyst with the Clinical Standards Group in the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Commander Cooper and his team at CMS are responsible for the development of CMS standards and policies, including the latest telemedicine final rule.

Who Should Attend:

All MSPs are invited to attend.

CEs:

Webinar participants will receive 1.5 CE credits.

Cost:
NAMSS members: $49 Non-members: $69
You will have the opportunity to purchase additional CE certificates for $10 each. A multi-registrant form will be included with your registration information.

To Register:
Visit the NAMSS Online Store to purchase this course.

NAMSS Extends Our Thoughts to Joplin, Missouri

NAMSS would like to extend our thoughts and condolences to all those affected by the severe weather that has hit our country this season. Our thoughts lie especially with the town of Joplin, Missouri, which was devastated by a tornado this past weekend.

We especially would like to recognize the staff of St. John’s Regional Medical Center. As the storm approached, they acted quickly to move patients to safety; now, they are working to implement their disaster plan while accounting for colleagues in the area.

Our thoughts will continue to lie with those who are working tirelessly to help the community to recover and rebuild.

Celebrating Women's History Month with the History of NAMSS

The month of March is National Women’s History Month. In his article, Mr. Umbdenstock of the American Hospital Association (AHA) recognizes the pivotal role that women have historically played in the leadership and workforce of hospitals. Mr. Umbdenstock asks us to ponder the extraordinary contributions of women in a field that has benefited from their efforts longer and more profoundly then perhaps any other.

So, let’s take a minute and look back at the history of NAMSS. Years ago, in 1971, 22 women who were medical staff secretaries met in California, sharing the following common goals:

• To provide educational workshops;
• To foster standards of excellence nationwide, with the objectives of professional and personal development;
• To provide an information exchange;
• To provide a communication resource; and
• To provide career development

Six years later, on October 13, 1977, 31 people attended the first National Educational Conference presented by the California Association Medical Staff Services, which began the launch of the National Association Medical Staff Services.

Those 22 women could never have guessed how NAMSS and the medical staff services profession would grow and the impact it would have on the healthcare industry. Today we are truly medical staff services professionals. We are a community of men and women who continue to gain recognition for our valuable role in ensuring safe, patient care. NAMSS continues to provide education and resources to help us prepare for the growing responsibilities of our profession, just as the founding members of NAMSS envisioned. Furthermore, we are no longer just a resource to other MSPs, but a resource to the healthcare community and policy makers, providing them with a better understanding of the role of medical staff management and credentialing.

The 2011 Theme for Women’s History Month is “Our History Is Our Strength”. I could not have said it better.

To learn more about NAMSS' history, click here:
http://www.namss.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=%2bMCQeqP4PHQ%3d&tabid=154&mid=560

To learn more about Women’s History Month, click here: http://www.nwhp.org/

Introducing the 2011 NAMSS Blog Subject-Matter Expert

Bonnie Conley, CPCS has been selected as the 2011 NAMSS Blog Subject-Matter Expert. In her role, Ms. Conley will work with NAMSS to communicate the latest news and issues of interest to medical services professionals (MSPs) to the public through the NAMSS Blog.

Ms. Conley, CPCS is the Director of Medical Staff Services at North Hills Hospital in North Richland Hills, TX and Adjunct Faculty for El Centro College’s Continuing Education Medical Staff Services Program. Ms. Conley has 20 plus years of experience in the MSP field in hospitals, managed care, commercial/proprietary CVOs and physician recruiting. She has served the MSP profession on a state and local level as the President of both the Texas Society Medical Staff Services (TSMSS) and the Dallas Fort Worth Chapter of Medical Staff Services Professionals (MSP-FWD).

Ms. Conley has served NAMSS in various capacities including the Education Committee, the Conference Planning Committee and currently as a member of the Ethics Committee. Ms. Conley has been recognized by TSMSS with the Golden Quill and Outstanding Provider Credentialing Specialist Awards and by NAMSS with the Certificate of Merit. Ms. Conley has a passion for the MSP profession and the use of technology. She recently completed a new website for the MSP-FWD Chapter which includes social media and video CE capabilities. She is married with two grown children and enjoys gardening, blogging, photography, travel and cooking.

In addition to welcoming Ms. Conley as the new NAMSS Blog Subject-Matter Expert, NAMSS would also like to thank Carole LaPine, CPMSM, CPCS for her work as the 2010 Subject-Matter Expert. Ms. LaPine was instrumental in identifying hot issues, helping NAMSS to be at the forefront of reporting policy news related to the MSP profession. With her help, the NAMSS Blog grew from a new idea for communicating to the NAMSS membership, to a recognized source for healthcare news that now has close to 900 subscribers and about 500 visitors a month.

The NAMSS Blog is always on the lookout for news items and issues of interest to MSPs. Send any articles, news tips, and even questions and comments to news@namss.org.

You can also subscribe to the NAMSS Blog by visiting http://www.namss.blogspot.com/ or by e-mailing news@namss.org with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.

Navigate MS.01.01.01 with NAMSS

Do you have questions about whether or not your bylaws are ready for the March 2011 implementation of MS.01.01.01? Are you still unsure about what changes need to be made? Register today to join attorney Michael Callahan of the American Health Lawyers Association and Harold Bressler, General Counsel of The Joint Commission, as they walk you through sample bylaws, explaining what meets the standard and what doesn’t.

In addition, learn how to re-evaluate the relationships among the medical staff, medical executive committee, and governing body under the new standard.

Upon registering for the webinar, you will receive a link to a site where you can submit your questions in advance, giving you the opportunity to “custom-design” the content of the session. Based on your questions, the speakers will provide substantive guidance on the most-pressing issues for MSPs.

Cost is $49 for NAMSS members, $69 for non-members, and $10 for each additional CE certificate. Participants will receive 1.5 CE credits.

This webinar also will be recorded and available in the NAMSS Online Store following the live event. If you have questions, please e-mail education@namss.org.

Submit Your Thoughts for an Upcoming Synergy Article

This year, NAMSS and CAQH are collaborating on the shared goal of identifying ways to increase efficiencies in the credentialing process. An upcoming issue of Synergy will feature an article on CAQH’s Universal Provider Datasource (UPD) and application. For this article, we are looking for feedback from the membership with your thoughts as a user of the UPD and CAQH application. The article will highlight the feedback of the membership and will provide an update on how CAQH is working to make the UPD system easier to use.

The NAMSS Industry & Government Relations Committee has already provided comments to CAQH with ideas on how to improve their application for the hospital-user community. NAMSS is pleased that CAQH is reviewing the committee’s proposed changes for inclusion in a future version of their application. CAQH wants to hear more about your experiences so we can work together and can continue to make the application and UPD system more user-friendly for providers and credentialing professionals.

Here is your chance to share your experiences on using the system with both the NAMSS membership and CAQH. To provide your experiences for the article, complete the following survey by Friday, May 21:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WTCZ8C5

Questions can be sent to news@namss.org.

NAMSS Letter to ABMS Regarding MOC Implementation

NAMSS has provided feedback to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) regarding the American Board of Pediatrics' recent implementation of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.

While NAMSS supports the ongoing skill development required of physicians through the MOC, there has been little guidance on how this will change the credentialing process. For example, the American Board of Pediatrics has implemented a permanent certification, eliminating end dates, which are currently verified.

ABMS requested NAMSS' thoughts on the American Board of Pediatrics' changes to their certification policy. A letter was sent to the ABMS Executive Committee last week for consideration. NAMSS will keep the membership updated on this issue.

To read NAMSS' letter to ABMS, click here:
http://www.namss.org/Portals/0/ABMS_Letter_1_20_10.pdf.

MS.01.01.01 Field Review Ends this Week

The Joint Commission's (TJC) field review of MS.01.01.01 (formerly MS.1.20) closes this Thursday, January 28.

While the standard may involve some bylaws revision work by some hospitals, NAMSS believes that the draft standard preserves the authority of the medical executive committee better than the 2007 revision of the standard and is also more flexible than the previous revision.

Modern Physician featured an article yesterday which includes some views of those who, along with NAMSS, participated on the task force that created this revision of MS.01.01.01.

TJC plans to have its Board of Commissioners vote on the standard at their March meeting.


To read the Modern Physician article, click here:
http://www.modernphysician.com/article/20100125/MODERNPHYSICIAN/301259980/-1.

To participate in the MS.01.01.01 field review, click here:
http://www.jointcommission.org/Standards/FieldReviews/ms_01_01_01.htm.

MS.01.01.01 Out for Field Review

How does one articulate the basic tenets of an effective working relationship between hospital governance, medical staff leadership, and the medical staff itself? The Joint Commission, in attempting to do just that, has in the past produced new versions of the standard addressing the issue, formerly known as MS 1.20 and now called MS 01.01.01. But these versions, when made available for comment, drew criticism from physicians and hospitals that pointed to the potential for substantial unintended consequences.

A new version, which is attached for your review, has been crafted by a special Task Force assembled by The Joint Commission in January 2008. The Task Force includes hospital executives, physician leaders, physician and hospital counsel, representatives of those who staff the medical staff functions, and others. Throughout its work, the Task Force was guided by three fundamental principles:

A well-functioning relationship between the governing body, hospital leadership, and the medical staff is essential to the delivery of high quality, safe care.

Effective communication is the lubricant that keeps relationships functioning well; it therefore is important that structures and processes support it.

Well-functioning relationships also depend on all parties knowing what is expected of them, and being able to live up to those expectations.

The Task Force worked with The Joint Commission staff to incorporate its suggestions into the revised language of MS 01.01.01. The American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, American College of Physicians, American Dental Association, NAMSS, and other interested organizations believe this revised version appropriately articulates the elements of a productive relationship between a hospital and its medical staff. It also allows as much flexibility as possible in how and where a hospital and its medical staff choose to articulate these responsibilities.

The Joint Commission Board has approved distributing this version for field review.

NAMSS will be posting our comment letters on the NAMSS Homepage in the coming days to provide you with background on the proposed revision. We encourage all members to participate in this field review.

NAMSS has suggested that The Joint Commission offer substantial implementation time for this standard once it is finalized. During that period, NAMSS will work to bring you educational programs and materials to help you properly implement this standard.

Visit the New NAMSS Website!

The new NAMSS website has officially launched today!

The new website features an updated look and easier navigation. You will also be able to view the latest NAMSS Blog headlines on the homepage.

On the new website, you will be able to access resources such as the Grassroots Advocacy Toolkit and Guide to Grassroots Advocacy to help state associations develop a system for tracking local legislative and regulatory developments.

Visit our new site and let us know what you think:
http://www.namss.org/.