The Tipping Point – Captive Medical Staffs and Loss of Accreditation

As a result of the prevailing trend of hospital-centric healthcare, in which more and more physicians are contracted with or employed by hospitals, the medical staff is quickly reaching a tipping point.

Soon, if it is not already taken place at your facility, a preponderance of medical staff members, or at least those who are active enough to vote and to serve in department and medical staff wide leadership roles, will be either employed by or otherwise dependent upon the good graces of hospital administration for their likelihood.

At that point, the medical staff will truly become what it has often been de facto, and that is a simple rubber stamp for hospital administration.

Consider the fact that the Joint Commission requires an independent medical staff.

Once the tipping point is reached is accreditation lost?