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While speaking to a fellow Credentialer today, she mentioned the ‘helpers’ they sometime get when doing their work. I told her what I felt about that. “I don’t like people touching my things!”
I don’t know the reason, maybe it’s
1) A deep seated feeling of accomplishment I get, when I finish credentialing a physician, OR
2) Because I am a giant anal retentive control freak that does not trust anyone else to do things as good as I do.
OK, I am the second one. While I appreciate the help, and sometimes need it, I still don’t want you touching my things.
No one does it like me. Dot the I’s cross the t’s, ask the questions I would ask.
As a matter of fact, I am such a freak about things that I trained EVERYONE that came into our department. Because I wanted everyone to do the things the way I wanted it. It was a small thing that I had to train everyone who stepped foot on our department. I like things the way I like them. See control freak.
I thought it was just me, but have found there is a certain kinship with us all. We have to juggle so much, and are afraid we will miss something so important. That I have heard ‘I don’t want you touching my things’
I am sure there is a support group I can join.
But not yet!
Ronda
We talked about recredentialing not so long ago and why it is important, now lets talk about some of things you will want to keep. No doubt you have a folder somewhere for each of your physicians and in those folders some pretty useful information and some pretty un-useful things. This is a great time to do some house cleaning.
You are always going to want to keep ahold of the original application even if they fill out a new one. It’s a good way to make sure that everything matches the info he or she origianlly gave you (i.e. Social Security Number, birth date, license numbers…etc…). Also hold onto all reference letters. You will also want to hold onto all copies of diplomas and training certificates. Life certiciations (ATLS, ACLS, etc, ) expire usually every 2 to 4 years so make sure they have given the newest certification. CME expires every 2 years too, so if it’s older, it’s worthless and you can toss it. Don’t hold onto fax cover sheets and confirmations, they just take up space. Use common sense, if it doesn’t need to be there, get rid of it.
Enjoy the purging process and Happy Re-credentialing!
Michelle
What is recredentialing you may ask. Recredentialing (or Credentials Reverification if you prefer) is the process of credentialing AFTER the initial credentialing was done. Depending on your own by-laws, you may need to recredential every year or every 2 years or even more. Basically you want to check up on your physician and make sure everything is still A-Ok.
So what kind of things are you looking for this time around? Good question!!
OK, so, you need to see if your Dr (let’s call him Dr. Perfect for arguments sake) has obtained privileges anywhere since he credentialed originally with you. Make sure he is still in good standing at any place he still has privileges at. There could possibly be new disciplinary actions against him, though, I hardly doubt that is the case for Dr. Perfect….
Second, you are going to have to recheck all of his active licenses with the licensing boards. You will also want to make sure that the license copies you have on file are still current. If anything has expired since the initial credential you will have to ask Dr Perfect for current copies, but, of course he won’t mind because, well, he’s perfect!
Do you keep letters of reference? If so, you probably will want to get current ones at this time.
Fun stuff, yes? No, not really, but a necessary evil any ways. If your Dr isn’t perfect, and most of them aren’t though some are close, he will probably grumble a little at having to go through it all again. The good news is, it won’t be nearly as time consuming and difficult this time around.
So, close your eyes, grit your teeth, and dive in. You will feel so much better when it’s all over with!
Michelle
I have always admired Healthcare providers. What they do is amazing. Their dedication to fixing the body and mind is beyond my capabilities. These are the men and women who took care of my mother when she was dying. When she was suffering, I just wanted someone to make it easier for her. I didn’t care who was board certified. I didn’t have it in my mind to think about anything else but her health.
Our Credentialing system is not set up like our legal system, where you are innocent until proven guilty. A Provider in Credentialing is guilty until they prove themselves innocent.
Physician & Allied Health Providers choose to live in glass houses. Every time they apply for new privileges; go work with a Locum Tenens agency, or even get a new state License. They choose to have their professional and sometimes very personal life reexamined and stones thrown at them.
We sometimes forget that they are people too. As a credentialer I am paid, to pick at the cracks of a Physicians’ life. Even if I can tell you the answers to the questions I have about your Application or CV. I still have to ask them. Its tedium and some would say stupid. I don’t like it either but until we can come up with something better, this is what we have to work with.
For the other side of the coin, I loved this Blog post from EMPhysician.
http://emphysician.blogspot.com/2007/12/hospital-credentialing-process-dog-and.html
Ronda
Licensing Exam – Taken more than once or took longer than 7 years to complete all steps
I am only going to brush on this one. I will go into more detail into the different Licensing exams there are later.
Were looking at how many times a Physician took an exam not what exam they took. If a physician step more than once, or how long it took between steps. Different states have rules on how many times a physician can take an exam, and how much time has elapsed from the first exam to the final exam.
Took more than 3 tries on each step or they took longer than 7 years to complete all the Licensing exams.
– It could be that the Physician is a bad test taker.
– It could be their not a very good Physician
Failing a Step or Level of a licensing exam can cause havoc with time lines for graduating Medical School or finishing Residency.
