Hospital Practice News

Employed physicians: Look to the AMA for advice

AMA member physicians in contractual relationships with hospitals, health systems and other similar entities can receive personal assistance from the AMA. While the AMA cannot provide legal opinions or representation, it is dedicated to answering questions and providing advice on such topics as contracting, credentialing, peer review, due process and medical staff governance.

AMA members may take advantage of this valuable resource in either of two ways:

• Complete a brief online form, and an AMA expert on physician-hospital/health system relations will contact you to discuss your questions or concerns.
• Contact AMA Member Relations via email or at (800) 262-3211 to arrange a time to discuss your questions or concerns with an AMA expert on physician-hospital/health system relations.

This offer is a benefit of AMA membership. If you're not a member, join today.

New model agreement helps with service line contracts

With service line agreements becoming both more popular and more complex, the AMA offers 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.

Chiefs of staff learn about AMA resources, opportunities

The chief of staff at each hospital in the United States recently received a letter from the AMA Organized Medical Staff Section, encouraging them and the members of the medical staff at their hospitals to take advantage of new AMA resources. These resources include the AMA's physician assistance service, Principles for Physician Employment and the Physician's Guide to Medical Staff Organization Bylaws.

The letter also listed opportunities for members of the medical staff to become involved in AMA educational events and policymaking activities.

Model conflict management process now available

Joint Commission accreditation standards require the development of a conflict management process to settle disputes between the organized medical staff and the governing body. With that, the AMA offers a model conflict management process that provides guidance for the development of such a process, as well as a process for resolving disputes between the medical executive committee and other members of the medical staff.

Use model code of conduct in medical staff bylaws

The AMA has revised its model code of conduct to reflect recent changes to standards issued by the Joint Commission. This model code of conduct, developed for insertion in medical staff bylaws, aims to assist medical staffs with implementation of a code of conduct in accordance with AMA policy and consistent with the Joint Commission Leadership Standard.

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.

New webcasts will be available soon.