WVH Medical Staff: Review proposed changes to governance documents

Rules and Regulations, Credentials Procedure Manual and Organization and Functions Manual

The West Valley Hospital Medical Executive Committee completed a review of current medical staff governance documents. After considerable review, the existing Salem Hospital governance documents were utilized and revised to unique critical access hospital standards to ensure system alignment.

Summary of key changes:

• Alignment of the Medical Executive Committee composition and Department Chair titles and specialty oversight. 
• Existing “Emergency Department Chair” reclassified as the Medical Specialty Department including oversight of:
• Emergency Department
• Cardiology
• Radiology
• Other, misc. 
• Current Chair: Dr. Christina Meier
• Existing Medical Specialty Department Chair revised to Primary Care Department Chair including oversight of:
• Hospital Medicine
• Ambulatory Salem Health Medical Group Primary Care
• Current Chair: Dr. Zubaria Iram
• Inclusion of Advanced Practice Providers as members of the medical staff
• Emergency backup requirements and standards
• Medical Executive Committee on-call status 
• Alignment of Staff Statuses
• Active staff will remain Active
• Courtesy staff aligns with the Salem Hospital Associate staff category requirements
• Those providers credentialed as Courtesy Staff at West Valley Hospital and who are Active Staff at Salem Hospital will transfer to Active Staff at both facilities without a change to any of their current West Valley Hospital requirements. 
• Addition of Refer and Follow status

See newly proposed documents here, here and here. As part of the approval process, these documents will be posted via Common Ground for 14 days for medical staff input.

Please email your questions, concerns and feedback to Kelly Aebi, Director of Medical Staff Services, no later than Sunday, Feb. 23. All Medical Staff feedback will be reviewed by the MEC to determine if further revisions need to be made or if the proposal can move forward to the full Board of Trustees for final approval and implementation.

On behalf of the MEC thank you for your review and feedback!