Can We Do That Here? Establishing the Scope of Surgical Practice at a New Safety-Net Community Hospital Through a Transparent, Collaborative Review of Physician Privileges.

PROBLEM DEFINITION

Stewarding of physician privileges wisely is imperative, but no guidelines exist for how to incorporate system-level factors in privileging decisions. A newly opened, safety-net community hospital tailored the scope of surgical practice through review of physician privileges. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital is a public-private partnership, safety-net institution in South Los Angeles that opened in July 2015. It has 131 beds, including a 28-bed emergency department, a 20-bed ICU, and 5 operating rooms. Staff privileging decisions were initially based only on physicians' training and experience, but this resulted in several cases that tested the boundaries of what a small community hospital was prepared to handle.

ITERATION AND PIVOTS

A collaborative, transparent process to review physician privileges was developed. This began with physician-only review of procedure lists, followed by a larger, multidisciplinary group to assess system-level factors. Specific questions were used to guide discussion, and unanimous approval from all stakeholders was required to include a procedure. An initial list of 558 procedures across 11 specialties was reduced to 321 (57.5%). No new cases that fall outside these new boundaries have arisen.

KEY INSIGHTS

An inclusive process was crucial for obtaining buy-in and establishing cultural norms. Arranging transfer agreements remains a significant challenge.

NEXT STEPS

Accumulation of institutional experience continues through regular performance reviews. As this hospital's capabilities mature, a blueprint has been established for expanding surgical scope of practice based explicitly on system-level factors.