NAMSS and ATA Host Webinar: Telemedicine Legal Considerations: Credentialing by Proxy

On April 23, NAMSS teamed up with the American Telehealth Association to host a webinar “Telemedicine Legal Considerations: Credentialing by Proxy.” The webinar covered the legal and practical aspects of credentialing by proxy, telemedicine lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis, and the NAMSS-ATA Credentialing by Proxy (CBP) Guide.

Webinar presenters described telemedicine’s rising status amid COVID-19 because it enhances care for those in COVID-19 hotspots, remote locations, provides quality and timely specialty care in areas without specialized practitioners, improves care continuity and case management, and enables patients to receive care without sacrificing quality over convenience.

Diane Meldi, MBA, CPCS, CPMSM, NAMSS Government Relations Liaison, Ty Bozkurt, MBA, FACHE, ATA Board Member, and Maureen Kozlowski, CPCS, CPMSM presented the NAMSS-ATA Credentialing By Proxy- A Guidebook, a resource medical staffs can use to modify credentialing and privileging requirements to facilitate telehealth services.

 

The webinar highlighted the challenges the traditional credentialing process imposes on telemedicine, especially for tertiary facilities or specialty groups who deploy multiple practitioners to provide services, many of whom are providing services in multiple facilities and perhaps in multiple states. The webinar provided guidance on how healthcare facilities could use proxy credentialing to address these barriers.

CBP is an alternative credentialing mechanism medical staffs can use to obtain telemedicine services for their patients and credential telemedicine practitioners who deliver their services from distant-site entities. Originating-site entities can use CBP to streamline the credentialing process to efficiently expand service offerings and clinical support, without burdening medical staff personnel. For distant site entities, CBP reduces the paperwork, time, and expenses associated with credentialing practitioners at the originating sites.

The “Telemedicine Legal Considerations: Credentialing by Proxy” webinar speakers:

• Alan Einhorn, JD, Foley & Lardner, LLP
• Ann Mond Johnson, CEO - American Telehealth Association
• Diane Meldi, MBA, CPCS, CPMSM, Senior Consultant - Ministry Medical Staff Mercy Quality & Safety Center, NAMSS Government Relations Liaison
• Maureen Kozlowski, CPCS, CPMSM, Director - Support Services Mercy Virtual
• Ty Bozkurt, MBA, FACHE, Chief Technology Officer - Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America, ATA Board Member

The “Telemedicine Legal Considerations: Credentialing by Proxy” webinar recording will be available for purchase on the NAMSS website this Friday, May 8. In the meantime, stay connected by visiting NAMSS COVID-19 Response Page.