But just in case you haven’t heard about Twitter here is what it’s about: as per Wikipedia.

From MC Hammer, Overstock.com to Martha Stewart. Everybody’s on it.

The micro-blogging site gives you 140 characters to say anything you want.

What could you use it for? With more and more Physicians/Hospitals/clinics and so on, on Face Book, MySpace, ECT. It’s easy to see that the Internet and Healthcare will be wound together for a long time.

Some are trying to reach out to Patients, or Communities, even other Providers. Some are using it for fund raising. The Internet has allowed for the World to be smaller, and share ideas.

How can Credentialers use it? Do you use it to contact your peers? To find out about events? Or is it just for fun?

I am still trying to figure that out. Do you have any idea’s let us know? rreagan@askcid.com or twitter.com/askcid

Other Health care related folks on Twitter

American Red Cross

Banner Health

LocumsInsider

I am thankful for my family. The people who surround my life every day. And my pets, Lola, Samanthia, & Bella.

We at AskCiD, hope you have a wonderful & safe holiday.

Ronda

And I started thinking, how is Credentialing like ghost hunting?

We both look for things that may or may not be there.

Ronda

A Few Years ago our boss went to a Seminar. One of the guest speakers was a representative from Pike Place Fish Market.

Now I don’t eat things that come from the water, normally(bad childhood trauma) So I at first was not interested in the “Fish Place” thankfully Michelle was more interested in it and asked our boss to tell us about it.

They had decided to become something more than another fish market. But how?

They asked themselves a simple Question. Who do we want to be?

Someone answered “World Famous” and really who doesn’t?  Now that is not actually what pulled us in. World Famous is great but there has to be something ‘human’ behind it. There is a reason; people, places, & things are world famous. Good or bad, it cuts both ways.

What pulled us in, was their Philosophy.

So what eneded up setting them apart from the others?  They started throwing their fish around. That’s it! So simple.  Need to see it?   Visit their webcam.  http://www.pikeplacefish.com/webcam.html

Now as a Credentialer we often felt like we were a necessary evil. Not really wanted by anyone. the red Headed freckled step child(Michelle often takes offence to this, she is both Red Headed and freckled).

So inspired were we by the ‘Fish Place’ we decorated our area in Fish, so that we would be reminded everyday that we mattered, not because anyone else said we did but because we provided a service. And we are great at it. I would even say ‘World Famous’

Over the coming weeks we will share our vision of AskCiD with you. But first we want to ask, What would you like see? What is your vision for a better Credentialing world. It doesn’t only have to do with AskCiD, it could be anything. Please share with us, share with every one.

What would make a difference in your world?

Ronda & Michelle

Did you know that you can ask the lovely ladies at askcid.com for help ANYTIME?

You can just click on the “contact us” link on the left hand side and away you go. It’s THAT easy.  We are here to help! 

Here are some of the many reasons you might want to contact us:

• You can’t find a facility
• We have the wrong number listed
• We have the wrong address
• The facility is now closed
• You have an interesting story about a hospital or MSO
• You had a bad run in with a crabby credentialing department and REALLY need someone to vent to (we feel your pain!)
• You have a suggestion that might improve our site
• You love us and just can’t hold it in anymore

There are so many reasons, I won’t go on, but you get the idea.  So, go ahead, try out that little button.  It feels so good.

   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

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

They have both a Myspace page and a YouTube page. How advanced are they?!

As a Credentialer, I didn’t make the big decisions. I brought the facts of  a physician I found to others (that made more money than I) to make the hard choices. I was grateful for it. If it was the wrong choice I would feel less guilty, but amazingly enough that was never that case. I always felt there was more I should have done.  If I had only done this, or maybe checked that again, the outcome would have been different.  I should have felt better knowing that the blame would not rest at my feet but it never helped. I have always felt there was something more I could have done.

What if you did all you could but the information you received was a lie? Would that make it easier? Would I feel less guilty? If I had dug deeper, not trusted the verifications I’d received?  Maybe if I asked three times for the truth, they would have given it to me. What about those people who told you the lie? The Physicians who wrote you “Glowing letters of Reference” for a Provider they fired because of a Drug Problem. What happened to “Do no harm” does that only apply to your direct patients? What about the Hospital; that thought I would see a GIANT RED FLAG when they replied to my Verification letter with an form letter that stated “Due to the volume of our requests”…? 

I have Credentialed hundreds of Physicians, and for every two of them I received a letter that started “Due to the volume of our requests”.  Am I the only one who didn’t know this was a red flag until the Kadlec case? I thought they were just being lazy. (To be fair, one person for every thousand letters is not lazy, it’s over worked) Someone actually thought this letter up, such a fast way to dispense the verification requests.  The funniest thing is, if you dare send the same letter to a place that ‘SENT’ you one of these, they get huffy. “It’s against our bylaws” or “we have certain standards”

What happens when the powers that be decide to let it be someone else’s problem? They took a big gamble and everybody lost. A Doctor lost a license. A hospital and two Physicians’ reputations have been tarnished if not ruined and all of them have all been sued millions of dollars.  But more importantly a woman lost her life.  A family lost their mother.

It’s the court case of the century.

Before it was a court case, it was a lie! I wonder if the physicians thought ‘it’s a small lie, he’ll be fine’ or the hospital just figured they didn’t have to say anything because ‘he just doesn’t work here anymore’.

Were they hoping that one another would say something they themselves were to spineless to say?  Or did they work together to market this lie, to get him away from their loved ones, to make it someone else’s problem?

I don’t know.

Let me know what you think

Ronda

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