Key KPIs to help new leaders assess current state, set goals
New eyes are on the medical staff services department (MSSD) as healthcare organizations place greater urgency on optimizing credentialing, privileging, and enrollment processes. “More and more, the MSSD is recognized as critical to hospital revenue and a key driver of practitioner satisfaction,” says Sally Pelletier, CPMSM, CPCS, advisory consultant and chief credentialing officer with The Greeley Company.
As a result, many MSSDs are undergoing significant transformations, with some departments under new leadership with finance, operations, and even marketing titles. MSSDs are also seeing certain functions shift to centralized corporate structures to standardize processes and onboard practitioners more quickly, according to the new brief How to Optimize and Right-Size the Medical Staff Services Department.
“Although these changes are positive for MSSDs and their organizations, a new leader stepping into the department may not find their footing so easily, especially if they are not trained as a medical services professional (MSP),” says Pelletier. “Each MSSD is unique and has a high degree of variability in its work scope. Non-MSP leaders will need support and training as they begin to assess staff roles and department processes.”
The brief describes the five things all successful MSSDs have in common that new leaders must know. They include having clear core functions and an adaptive and strategic approach to right-sizing FTEs. There are also five key performance indicators (KPI) MSSD leaders should pay close attention to that tie directly to compliance, provider satisfaction, and revenue, says Pelletier. “These KPIs can help measure the efficiency of the department’s core functions and serve as common ground for base-level assessments and for setting goals and measurements.” Go here for more information on how to evaluate your MSSD’s current state and explore opportunities to optimize and right-size.
The Greeley Company is a full-service healthcare consulting practice with specialties including Compliance & Quality, Bylaws & Governance, Medical Staff Optimization & Physician Alignment, External Peer Review, Credentialing & Privileging, Interim Staffing, and Education & Seminars. 888-749-3054 | www.greeley.com