A new credentialing and privileging process has resulted in a marked drop in the time required to take advanced practice providers (APPs) from hire to start date and provides patients with greater access to care.
For the last six months, an improvement team—consisting of both Central Office and hospital Medical Staff Services, Human Resources, practice managers and Continuous Improvement—has worked to reduce the time it takes to get new APPs seeing patients. Historically, the process took four to six months, but the new approach has already resulted in a 14 percent reduction in time—approximately two weeks—from hire to start date for the first new hires who have completed the full credentialing process.
Most significantly, the improvement team developed an electronic credentialing application so new hires can complete and electronically sign an editable PDF as well as review any applicable hospital bylaws via a secure email link. Prospective APPs then email the entire completed application back to Medical Staff Services for processing. This change alone has reduced the time needed to receive and begin processing an application by over 70 percent.
Moving forward, the team anticipates additional decreases in time as more new-hire APPs move through this streamlined process. The improvement will positively impact the front lines of care, the experience of all our caregivers and, most importantly, the health of our patients.
For the last six months, an improvement team—consisting of both Central Office and hospital Medical Staff Services, Human Resources, practice managers and Continuous Improvement—has worked to reduce the time it takes to get new APPs seeing patients. Historically, the process took four to six months, but the new approach has already resulted in a 14 percent reduction in time—approximately two weeks—from hire to start date for the first new hires who have completed the full credentialing process.
Most significantly, the improvement team developed an electronic credentialing application so new hires can complete and electronically sign an editable PDF as well as review any applicable hospital bylaws via a secure email link. Prospective APPs then email the entire completed application back to Medical Staff Services for processing. This change alone has reduced the time needed to receive and begin processing an application by over 70 percent.
Moving forward, the team anticipates additional decreases in time as more new-hire APPs move through this streamlined process. The improvement will positively impact the front lines of care, the experience of all our caregivers and, most importantly, the health of our patients.