TSMSS Vision Statement
To be recognized as a leading organization that promotes patient safety through education, certification, and professional growth of medical services specialists.

TSMSS Mission Statement
The mission of TSMSS is to promote certification and professional growth through networking, within the healthcare industry.

Question for the TSMSS Board?
TSMSS is your resource! We make a great deal of information available to you via this website, as well as our Annual Conference, Workshops, and the like. But if you have an immediate need for information, NOW, nothing beats asking someone directly. For that reason, we've established "Ask the Board," a quick and easy way for you to post questions about TSMSS or about our profession and get answers quickly from people who have a great deal of experience. So, if you have questions, just click on this link to Ask the Board!


TSMSS Cookbooks Can Now Be Ordered and Paid for Online! Please see link below

The 2010 Conference: Navigating a Sea of Change

The 2010 TSMSS Annual Conference will be held at the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi!

Mark your calendars for April 12-14, 2010 and join us in Corpus for a terrific event! (And be sure to mark the weekend before the Conference [April 10-11, 2010] if you're interested in pursuing your CPCS or CPMSM...we'll have Certification Preparation Courses during those pre-Conference days just for you!)

We are wrapping up the details on a remarkable program that you will NOT want to miss and we are making plans for some of the most exciting and intriguing social events we have ever done! Plus, we're ensuring that registrants will be able to get lots of continuing education credits by attending.

It's important that you note the dates (April 12-14) on your calendar NOW so you won't miss all we're going to offer in Corpus Christi! If you've never been to the "Sparkling City by the Sea," you're going to be dazzled by it! You'll have tough decisions to make about your admittedly limited free time; should you go to the Art Museum of South Texas, the Art Center of Corpus Christi, the Asian Cultures Museum and Educational Center, Centennial House, Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens, USS Lexiington, or just relax on the beach just across the street from the hotel? There's still time to decide, but time passes quickly, so MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

The 2009 Conference was Fantastic!

The 2009 TSMSS Annual Conference was a blockbuster! More than 220 TSMSS Members and guests from around the state (and as far away as Mississippi) gathered at the Marriott Quorum Hotel in Addison for a truly top-notch program!

Online Continuing Education in Medical Staff Services--Basics of Credentialling!!

El Centro College will begin offering a series of online continuing education courses in medical staff services. The first of these programs, Basics of Credentialing, will be offered beginning in June 2009. The course will last for two weeks and 8 CEUs are being requested from NAMSS. If you have new staff in your department who need in-depth information on credentialing, this course is perfect for them. It is also a good refresher for those of you who need CEUs in order to maintain your credentials. Cost is $99 and the textbook that will be used is The Medical Staff Services Handbook: Fundamentals and Beyond, by Gassiot, Searcy and Giles. The book is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please note that it takes two weeks to receive a book that is ordered online.

Register by calling El Centro College at 214-860-2260 or 214-860-2696 and pay by credit card. The course number is MSST 2000.54101. Registration begins April 21. The course begins June 8, 2009. For more information contact cgassiot@satx.rr.com.

TSMSS Online Summer Edition Available!

The Summer issue of TSMSS Online is available in the Publications Section of the TSMSS website. TSMSS Members need only log in to read about: the 2009 Conference, legal updates, chapter contacts, NAMSS mentoring, the MSSP Personal Handbook, the latest NAMSS certificants, among other things. In addition, two sample codes of conduct have been placed in the publications area, serving as valuable resources to TSMSS members! So go on over and read!

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Overturns Poliner Decision

In a positive action supporting physicians conducting peer review, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the judgment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in the case of LAWRENCE R POLINER, MD; LAWRENCE R POLINER, MD, PA Plaintiffs-Appellees v. TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEMS, a Texas Non-Profit Corporation, doing business as Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas; JAMES KNOCHEL, MD Defendants-Appellants.

Essentially, the case may be summarized as follows:

A judgment awarding some $33 million, including prejudgment interest, was entered against a major hospital and leading physician for alleged defamations. The judgment rested on limited restrictions of Dr. Lawrence Poliner's privileges at Presbyterian Hospital over a period of fewer than twenty-nine days to investigate concerns involving his handling of several patients. This peer review, which was headed by Dr. James Knochel, led to a suspension of Poliner's cardiac catheterization lab and echocardiography privileges that lasted approximately five months. Poliner sued Knochel, Presbyterian, and other doctors involved in the peer review alleging various federal and state law violations.

The jury found for Poliner on his defamation claims. Poliner was able to offer evidence at trial of actual loss of income of about $10,000-but was awarded more than $90 million in defamation damages, nearly all for mental anguish and injury to career. The jury also awarded $110 million in punitive damages.

The Fifth Circuit Court held for the Defendants, saying they are immune under the Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) from money damages for the temporary restrictions of Poliner's privileges. The Court reversed and rendered judgment for Defendants.

For a complete copy of the ruling (PDF file), click here.

Cooking with Credentials!

If you attended the 2009 TSMSS Annual Conference, you saw the ongoing excitement around the cookbook! A number of lucky people were able to walk away with cookbooks at the incredible bargain price of just 3 for $25! At only $10.00 plus $5.00 shipping & handling, it's still a bargain, though, so buy your copy now! And if you buy three, they're only $25, plus $15 S&H! Whether you attended the TSMSS Conference or not, you're sure to want your own copy of our fantastic 394-page cookbook! Click here to order your copy today!

TSMSS Salary Survey

TSMSS published a salary survey in 2005 and it's available to TSMSS members only! Members who would like a copy may simply log in to the members-only (Publications) area of the website.