Update the medical staff's definition of active category to ­promote leadership opportunities

Back in the "old days," physicians who practiced in the community also practiced in the hospital, so defining who belonged in the active category was a breeze. But with the advent of hospitalists, medical staff categories have blurred, and it's beginning to affect which physicians can serve as medical staff leaders. Traditionally, medical staff bylaws require leaders to be in the active medical staff category, but as more physicians are handing their patients off to hospitalists, fewer and fewer meet the required number of patient contacts to qualify for the active category.