Happy holidays!
As 2021 comes to a close, I am finishing a two-year term of serving as President of the medical staff at ThedaCare Medical Center- New London. Ten years ago, I was completing my second term as President of the medical staff at TCA/TCN. The changes over the last ten years have been profound. We, as providers, have seen our practices evolve over the years with the advent of electronic medical records, the increased use of quality metrics, and the divergence of Primary care and hospital-based medicine.
As our everyday practice has changed, the organized medical staff structure has changed as well.
For example, there has been recent operational changes in credentialing and peer review that has been very beneficial. There has also been sharing of ideas and experiences among the medical staff leaders of the critical access hospitals with leaders at TCA/TCN.
The rate of change in medical staff structure will be even greater in the coming months. Likewise, the need for both employed and independent physicians and other providers to participate will increase as well. Our collaboration with management, hospital staff, and governing boards is crucial as we respond to constant changes and challenges in healthcare. That collaboration, with significant engagement of the medical staff, is the best strategy to achieve our shared goal of providing safe, high quality patient care with excellent patient experience in a cost-effective manner.
Scott Kolbeck
