| Hospital credentialing is the most intensive | | | | affect the results of future audits, resulting in |
| credentialing process for medical providers, | | | | reprimands or penalties.Credentialing verification |
| repeated more frequently than other credentialing | | | | organizations (CVO) allow hospitals to outsource |
| standards and involving more organization | | | | the credentialing process for all medical providers, |
| contacts and supporting documents. The amount | | | | such as physicians, respiratory therapists, X-ray |
| of staff time and the expense of researching | | | | technicians, nurses, and mental health specialists. |
| every medical provider can be heavy, draining | | | | CVOs dedicate resources and training to |
| resources from other administrative functions, | | | | credentialing, meaning personnel have experience, |
| and requiring experienced staff and access to | | | | comply with appropriate standards, and have |
| research resources. Yet hospitals have been | | | | access to verification resources. Hospitals can |
| slower than other medical organizations to | | | | better utilize their staff and finances, while |
| outsource the credentialing process, despite | | | | lowering hospital liability for mistakes. Additionally, |
| potential benefits: faster turnaround time, | | | | CVOs can offer support services in addition to |
| cost-effectiveness, and savings in staff time and | | | | credentialing which can make managing audits, |
| training.Hospital credentialing covers the most | | | | renewing licenses, and other processes more |
| detailed questions of any credentialing standard, | | | | efficient.There are minimum services that CVOs |
| from medical school through the provider's | | | | should offer to hospitals:Compliance with JCAHO |
| complete career. The Joint Commission on | | | | standards.Minimum number of contact attempts |
| Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) | | | | to and organization.Adapting processes to |
| creates manuals outlining the credentialing | | | | incorporate hospital requests and specialized |
| processes for all different medical providers within | | | | information requirements.Completed profiles with |
| an institution. The proscribed areas have to be | | | | no sections left unverified.Improved turnaround |
| verified in ways that meet JCAHO standards. This | | | | time, usually within 60 days.Quick committee |
| entails direct contact with organizations associated | | | | notification for problematic files. Fast response to |
| with the provider, as well as receiving copies of all | | | | questions or problems.Web access to profile |
| certificates and licenses. All of these areas must | | | | reports and verification documentation, as well as |
| be verified:DEA certificatesAll state licenses and | | | | hard copies.Quality CVOs offer other beneficial, |
| sanctionsMalpractice insurance and claim | | | | resource-intensive services to hospitals:Surveillance |
| historyTraining, internships, and residenciesBoard | | | | between an initial credentialing process and the |
| certificationsMedical educationAll past and current | | | | first recredentialing process for any disciplinary |
| hospital privilegesWork history (verified through | | | | actions or sanctions.Routine notification for |
| direct contact)Medicare sanctions or opt-outsPeer | | | | recredentialing and expirable deadlines.Assistance |
| referencesBoth the contact results and supporting | | | | during internal or external audits.Training and |
| documentation are gathered to create a final | | | | consulting for in-house credentialing.Using a CVO |
| profile report for the provider, which is given to | | | | for medical provider credentialing saves hospitals |
| the credentialing committee for review. Any | | | | time in staff hours, money and resources, and |
| warning signs or previous problems with the | | | | also offers support services, such as audit |
| provider must specifically be brought to | | | | support and surveillance of providers for sanctions |
| committee attention.Most hospitals still do | | | | or problems even after completing credentialing, |
| credentialing verification internally. If they have full | | | | that a hospital may not be able to maintain |
| access to information resources and available | | | | internally. Hospital credentialing standards are the |
| money and manhours to dedicate staff, as well as | | | | tightest and most detailed of medical provider |
| having experienced personnel to do it, then | | | | credentialing standards. CVOs can remove the |
| in-house credentialing can be as fast and thorough | | | | burden of meeting those standards for hospitals |
| as outsourcing it. Most hospitals do not have | | | | through dedicated resources, experience, and |
| those resources or need to assign those | | | | support services.Physician Credentialing Solutions is |
| resources elsewhere. Moreover, hospitals bear the | | | | a leading provider of credentialing verification |
| liability of any mistakes or oversights made during | | | | services for hospitals, PPOs and other health care |
| the credentialing process, and those mistakes can | | | | organizations. |