Changes to the Medical Staff Bylaws Standard - From The Joint Commission

Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Change Information
 The revised Medical Staff standard MS.01.01.01, formerly known as MS.1.20, goes into effect on March 31, 2011 for hospitals and critical access hospitals.

The revised standard was announced on March 15, 2010 (see the March 17, 2010 issue of Joint Commission Online), providing hospitals and their medical staff a full year to understand the modified requirements encompassed by MS.01.01.01 since some organizations may find it necessary to revise portions of their medical staff bylaws to make sure they comply with the revised standard.

The Joint Commission revised the standard to contribute to patient safety and quality of care through the support of a well-functioning, positive relationship between a hospital’s medical staff and governing body.

Both the current and the revised versions of MS.01.01.01 will be included in Update 2 to the 2010 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (CAMH) and the 2011 CAMH. The revised standard (effective March 31, 2011) will appear in numerical order within the standards listing. The current version of the standard (effective until March 30, 2011) will appear at the end of the Medical Staff chapter.

In addition, information about revised standard MS.01.01.01, including FAQs, can be found on  The Joint Commission Web site or contact Chuck Mowell.

Have there been recent changes in the medical staff bylaws in your hospital?  Did you participate in these changes?  Share your experience in the comment section below.