Monday Keynote: Humor and Health

Meet Hunter “Patch” Adams, the real person behind the hit movie Patch Adams starring Robin Williams. Patch is both a medical doctor and a clown…but he is also a social activist and rabble-rouser. Having devoted his life to the study of what makes people happy, Patch Adams believes that laughter, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process. This session explores the relationship between humor and the health of the individual, community or society. Patch discusses his 30+ years of clowning experience and its applications to the health care field. Come laugh and be inspired!

Herding Cats: Multi-System Credentialing

CVOs that credential for multiple entities with different and varied requirements face many issues. Topics to be covered in this session are: a process that employs various alternatives to integrate data verification services easily into your clients’ business environment; tips for achieving strong customer satisfaction while attempting to maintain an in-house department to meet productivity and efficiency demands; and solutions to fight an old problem for healthcare provider data errors (i.e., no more bad data).

Advancing Quality and Safety – The Joint Commission’s Agenda

Dr. Schyve will describe The Joint Commission’s increasing focus on the use of robust process improvement to initiate sustainable improvements in the quality and safety of care and in reducing waste in the provision of care. He will discuss the application of process improvement tools (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean) to medical staff services and explain the role of the individual clinician and patient care teams in creating safety at the bedside.

URAC – Preparing for Accreditation

This session will describe the URAC Provider Credentialing Standards, including the scope of credentialing programs, program structure and organization, application process, recredentialing, and credentialing delegation. For each category of standards, the purpose, type of documentation expected and elements that URAC looks for in the applicant’s documentation will be discussed. This session will also address some challenging areas relating to compliance with standards, and ensuring the implementation plan includes policies and procedures, appropriate record keeping, audit policies and tools, definition and role of the Credentialing Committee and use of CVOs- oversight and due-diligence issues.

Recruiting Physicians Under Stark III (1st Offering)

This session will provide an overview of common practices in interviewing and recruiting new physicians, the visit to the facility, and finding the right fit. During this process, it is essential that the practices fall within the current Stark laws.

The MSP’s Role in Effective Peer Review

Fair hearings are expensive and time consuming. Do your medical staff documents provide alternatives to denials? This session will discuss how the MSP can affect the peer-review process through development of appropriate peer-review processes and considerations that benefit both the practitioner and the organization while ensuring patient safety.

Paperless Credentialing…An Oxymoron or Achievable?

This session will discuss the varying degrees of “paperless-ness” that some attendees might be experiencing and how to progress to the next level. Topics covered: Why should you go paperless? What are you trying to accomplish by becoming paperless? What do you do with the paper you already have? How do you accomplish all that is required to go paperless while still maintaining efficiency, budget, team workload, and quality of services?

Credentialing Vendor Representatives in the Operating Room

You know the orthopedist implanting the hip joint and the cardiologist performing the cath. You have information on their credentials and competence, but who’s checking up on the vendor representatives who are in the OR/procedure room “assisting” the physician? This session will cover the importance of having a sound vendor policy in place; what considerations there are in allowing vendors in the OR/procedure room; determining whose responsibility it is to “credential/privilege” vendor reps and outline the types of documents that should be obtained and verified, including appropriate liability insurance; competence and “reappointment” frequency.

Your Accreditation Alternative

This session will provide a brief history of the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) of the AOA since its inception in 1945. Mr. Reuther, Director of HFAP, will offer an overview of the similarities and differences between HFAP and JC accreditation both that have “deeming authority” under CMS. Come learn about this cost-effective, user-friendly means to validate the quality of care at your hospital, ambulatory care/surgery center or specialty care centers at facilities.

Still Struggling With OPPE and FPPE? You’ve Come to the Right Place! (1st Offering)

Still struggling with how to demonstrate a continuous level of expected performance for physicians and other practitioners, whether it’s with the Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) or Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE)? Learn how to suggest appropriate indicators for the Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation and how to display the data and information for medical staff analysis during the two-year appointment period. We’ll also discuss who needs a focused evaluation and the required elements of that activity.

Navigating the Military Credentialing Maze

Still waiting on a response from the National Personnel Records Center? This session will provide practical information on the best methods to obtain verification and competency information on physicians/providers who have served in the armed services. Each branch of the military will be represented and will provide information on how best to obtain this information without a long wait. Specific contact information and sample requests will be provided. Each branch of the military will provide a brief description of the structure for credentialing practitioners in their respective service.

CVO Best Practices – Considerations for Both Established CVOs and CVO Start-ups

The Credentials Verification Organization (CVO), as a support service in the healthcare industry, has continued to evolve. As the credentialing and privileging environment has become more complex, the service needs of the CVO client also have become more complex. This session will explore how the contemporary CVO can retool its support of clients to ensure future relevance as a service organization, in addition to discussing what CVO customers may expect from their CVO partner.

So You Want to Be Certified?

This breakout session is designed to familiarize potential candidates with information on becoming certified (CPSMS/CPCS), help them decide which exam to take, and provide a “road map” to help them prepare for the certification exam. It is not a study course, but a precursor (first step) to help candidates determine if they are ready for that next step.

Still Struggling With OPPE and FPPE? You’ve Come to the Right Place! (2nd Offering)

Still struggling with how to demonstrate a continuous level of expected performance for physicians and other practitioners, whether it’s with the Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) or Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE)? Learn how to suggest appropriate indicators for the Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation and how to display the data and information for medical staff analysis during the two-year appointment period. We’ll also discuss who needs a focused evaluation and the required elements of that activity. 

Update on NCQA Standards and Accreditation

Session Code: MN15
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Total CE Credits: 1.5
Presented by William F. Tulloch, MA

This presentation will focus on existing NCQA standards related to credentialing and provider networks, explain recent NCQA policy updates on those standards, and review how those updates will affect credentialing operations for all types of health plans, including HMOs, POSs, and PPOs.

Recruiting Physicians Under Stark III (2nd Offering)

This session will provide an overview of common practices in interviewing and recruiting new physicians, the visit to the facility and finding the right fit. During this process, it is essential that the practices fall within the current Stark laws.