Hospital Practice News

OMSS meeting summary now available to download

A summary of the 2012 AMA Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS) Interim Meeting and a related PowerPoint presentation are now available for download. OMSS representatives are encouraged to use these materials to share information about the Nov. 8-10 meeting with the members of their medical staffs and with hospital leadership.

The OMSS Assembly considered 13 items of business on a range of issues and sent six resolutions to the AMA House of Delegates for consideration at the 2012 Interim Meeting. Refer to the OMSS Interim Meeting Proceedings for a complete recap of actions taken on all OMSS items of business and on select items of business considered by the House.

For more information on the most recent meeting visit the OMSS Interim Meeting Web page.

Save the date for the OMSS 2013 Annual Meeting, June 13-15 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Registration for the meeting will be available in early 2013.

New model agreements help with service line contracts

With service line agreements becoming both more popular and more complex, the AMA has introduced a new resource to assist physicians and their legal counsel in navigating and negotiating these contracts.

AMA members may view the interactive Co-Management Service Line Agreement for free. If you're not an AMA member, join today.

Comment on revisions to Joint Commission standards

Physicians are invited to comment on proposed revisions to three Joint Commission standards. Comments for a standard covering long-term care are due today. Comments on standards covering emergency management and ambulatory care are due Dec. 4 and Dec. 12, respectively.

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.

Manual helps doctors with employment agreements

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.

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.