Hospital Practice News

CMS preparing new safe surgery checklist measure

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing a new quality reporting program for ambulatory surgery centers that introduces a CMS structural measure on the use of a safe surgery checklist. The same measure will also be adopted for outpatients in hospitals.

Beginning in 2013, ambulatory surgery centers and hospitals for outpatients would report a yes or no response regarding their organization's use of a safe surgery checklist during 2012. This information would be submitted via a CMS-designed website annually thereafter.

The use of a checklist creates an expectation that organizations assess effective communication and safe practices during three perioperative periods: prior to administration of anesthesia; prior to skin incision; and prior to the patient leaving the operating room or procedural area.

For payment determination purposes, the measure will be applied to ambulatory surgery centers for the calendar year 2015 and for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program as OP-25 for calendar year 2014. The measure has been proposed for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program for fiscal year 2016 and beyond.

Visit the Joint Commission website to learn more.

CME activities are among education program webcasts

Learn about physician leadership, engaging members of the medical staff to improve quality and the future of the medical staff organization by viewing new webcasts from the AMA Organized Medical Staff Section. Physicians can claim continuing medical education (CME) credit for watching the webcasts. Titles include:

• "Doing the right thing for our patients: leading as a professional" (1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™)
• "Engaging members of the medical staff to measure and improve quality" (1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™)
• "Future of the medical staff: strategies for re-engineering governance and operations to advance clinical and strategic imperatives" (1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™)

AMA members can view these webcasts for free; nonmembers can watch them for $30 per credit hour. If you're not an AMA member, join today.

Next AMA-OMSS quarterly call set for Sept. 11

Register today for the next AMA Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS) representative quarterly call, which will take place at 8 p.m. Eastern time Sept. 11.

The call will recap this year's AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting, which took place in June, and provide information about the upcoming AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting, which will be held Nov. 8–10 in Honolulu in conjunction with the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. The call also will provide updates on issues that are relevant to hospital medical staffs.

Next AMA-OMSS meeting set for November in Hawaii

Details about this year's AMA Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS) Interim Assembly Meeting, including information about travel arrangements, are now available online. The meeting will take place Nov. 8–10 in Honolulu in conjunction with the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.

Resolutions must be emailed to Keith Voogd of the AMA by Sept. 28. Registration for the meeting will be available in the coming weeks. Those interested in serving on a committee or as an advisor at the meeting should email Katie Tinney of the AMA.

View AMA-OMSS meeting materials

Highlights from this year's AMA Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS) Annual Assembly Meeting are now posted online. Materials include the official meeting proceedings, a meeting summary and PowerPoint presentation summarizing the actions of the AMA-OMSS Assembly and the programs presented at the meeting. The meeting took place June 14–16 in Chicago prior to the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.

This year's AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting will take place Nov. 8–10 in Honolulu. Watch AMA Wire and the AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting Web page for details.

Guide can help physicians draft bylaws for medical staff

Medical staffs looking to draft or amend bylaws can use the fifth edition of the AMA's "Physician's Guide to Medical Staff Organization Bylaws." This valuable reference manual contains bylaws language that supports self-governance, addresses Joint Commission standard MS.01.01.01 and offers guidance on emerging issues in health care that impact the medical staff. AMA members have free access to the guide. If you're not a member, join today.

AMA offers expert guidance to employed physicians

Two new resources from the AMA aim to meet the unique needs of physicians who maintain employment or contractual relationships with hospitals, health systems and other entities.

The AMA's Physician Assistance Service answers physicians' questions and provides advice on physician-hospital issues such as employment and contracting, medical staff bylaws, credentialing, peer review, due process and medical staff self-governance. While the AMA cannot provide legal opinions or representation, it can provide assistance to physicians in matters pertaining to their relationships with hospitals, health systems, and other similar entities.

The AMA also has updated its physician employment Web page to highlight a wide range of AMA resources for physicians who are employed or considering employment.

With more and more established physicians, as well as those completing training, becoming employees of hospitals, medical groups or affiliate organizations, it's important that they enhance their understanding and negotiating position as they navigate employment contracts and opportunities in these practice settings.

A manual from the AMA, the "Annotated Model Physician-Hospital Employment Agreement," can help. This resource addresses the specific needs of established physicians and those completing training who are preparing to negotiate an employment contract with a hospital or related entity.

AMA members can access the manual for free; nonmembers can purchase it through the AMA Bookstore. If you're not a member, join today.