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60 Executive Briefing: Strengthening the Medical Staff Services Department After identifying the contributors of their MSSD's suboptimal per- formance levels, many organizations hit a wall — they simply do not have the necessary staff and resources to perform at the de- sired level. For many organizations, outsourcing the MSSD is an attractive option, for outsourcing enables the organization to be confident that a specialized, knowledgeable and efficient team of professionals is managing its medical staff functions. "Through outsourcing, the [department's] goals are more read- ily achieved and sustained by tried and true methodologies and credentialing processes," says Ms. Pelletier. "Picture us coming in as a superhero to save the day and then sticking around to make sure the desired future state is sustained throughout the terms of the agreement." Key benefits of outsourcing the MSSD Through outsourcing the MSSD, hospitals and health systems can alleviate the burden of the numerous, complex responsibili- ties on an understaffed, unqualified internal department. Instead, they can entrust the credentialing and privileging tasks to a quali- fied partner that uses improved and integrated processes and industry-leading best practices. Cost savings and improved revenue Some of the most appeal- ing benefits of outsourcing the MSSD are substantial efficiencies gained that increase physician satisfaction and enhance revenue, according to Ms. Pelletier. Outsourcing is often a more sustain- able and affordable choice for hospitals to improve and sustain the performance of their MSSD, and in most cases, they help to integrate physicians into the organization more quickly. For instance, healthcare services delivered by employed physi- cians and advanced practice professionals cannot be billed to payers until the practitioners are officially through the creden- tialing and privileging process, though hospitals and health sys- tems must pay them during this time. The faster the credentialing process, the sooner hospitals can begin generating revenue for each new physician and maintain cash flow, according to Greeley Company. Ensure new physicians meet the organiza- tion's standards and protect reputation Outsourcing the MSSD to a qualified and experienced partner can also reduce risk associated with physician credentialing and privi- leging, compliance and accreditation. Although this is an often un- der-valued responsibility, high-quality physician file management is crucial — not only to the hospital's ability to bill for physicians' services, but also to the hospital's reputation. By definition, a hos- pital is only as good as its physicians, so the quality of its medical staff directly impacts customers' perception of the quality of the entire organization. Inadequately vetted physicians can endanger the various quality and accreditation factors hospitals' ratings and reputations depend on. With efficient and highly competent credentialing and privileging in place, healthcare organizations have the ability to identify phy- sicians that do not meet the organization's standards. Improve physician satisfaction Another major benefit that results from outsourcing the MSSD is increased physician satisfaction, a growing concern in hospitals and health systems. As part of their training, outsourced MSPs have a greater understanding of physician relationships and qual- ity and compliance management. With this knowledge, in addition to credentialing and privileging skills, MSPs ensure physicians can begin practicing quickly and compliantly, and they efficiently manage increases or decreases in workload during credentialing and re-credentialing. Some hospitals and health systems have the breadth and re- sources to properly train, support and manage an internal MSSD. For many, however, the MSSD cannot perform as highly as its or- ganization may expect or need. The responsibilities of the MSSD are inextricable from the financial, cultural and quality-related out- comes of the organization as a whole, so ensuring the best pos- sible team is in command is essential. Outsourcing, many have found, is the best solution. n The MSSD is truly the nucleus of the hospital, as it is responsible for everything from credentialing and privileging practitioners to playing a critical role in information management and interactions between hospital leaders, physicians, board members and other key stakeholders. The Greeley Company provides innovative consulting, education, outsourcing solutions, interim staffing, and external peer review to health- care organizations nationwide. We focus on contemporary needs and challenges related to medical staff optimization & physician alignment; accreditation, regulatory compliance & quality, and credentialing & privileging. Headquartered in the greater Boston area, The Greeley Com- pany serves administrative and clinical teams in more than 500 healthcare organizations each year—ranging from the largest healthcare systems and academic medical centers to critical access rural hospitals. Greeley's unique approach and commitment to quality can result in marked improvements in efficiency, quality, compliance, cost reduction, revenue, patient satisfaction, and staff engagement and satisfaction.