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Texas Society for Medical Services Specialists 4230 LBJ Freeway, Ste. 414 Dallas, TX 75244 Phone: 972/755-2560 Fax: 972/755-2561 Email: info AT tsmss.org |
TSMSS has a new name! We changed our name to reflect the growing diversity of our discipline. Our members are in hospital settings, in managed care settings, in physicians' offices and in group practices. Just as the field of healthcare is changing, so is TSMSS! 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. TSMSS Online Fall Edition Now Available!The Fall issue of TSMSS Online is available in the Publications Section of the TSMSS website. TSMSS Members need only log in to read articles on: The recent Poliner decision; "phrases" in the President's message; updates on TSMSS committees; NAMSS updates; disruptive behavior in physicians; new members; how to set up Chapter bank accounts; and fun facts about TSMSS Board members, 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! One-Day Workshop to be Held in Abilene!A TSMSS One-Day Workshop, entitled "Credentialing Across the Continuum," will be held in Abilene, TX on December 5. At the conclusion of the workshop, attendees will be able to: Understand and describe credentialing and its role in medical environments; Understand the purpose of credentialing; Understand who should be credentialed under the medical staff and human resources processes Be able to discuss "equivalent" process; Understand the OPPE Process; Understand and apply the FPPE Process; Understand the elements of credentialing including NCQA, TJC, & best practices standards; and Understand the basics of processing and verifying practitioner applications and reappraisal. For full details, including registration, download this PDF file. HOT NEWS! Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Overturns Poliner DecisionIn 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. TSMSS 2008 Conference Broke Records!! We told you it could break records and it did! Our registration reached almost 300 people, by far the largest event in recent memory...and probably in our history! Plan on reading all about our record-breaking meeting in the next issue of TSMSS On-Line, our electronic newsletter! A tremendous highlight of the Conference was the Awards & Installation Lunch, where the new Board for 2008-2009 was sworn in and where the recipients of some TSMSS Awards were suprised by hearing their names! Sara Johns was named Outstanding CPMSM, Gwynn Wigginton was named Outstanding CPCS, and Patsy Steele was named Outstanding TSMSS Member. It was a great event! It's not too early for you to mark your calendar for the 2009 TSMSS Annual Conference! We'll be at the Marriott Quorum in Addison (Dallas) from March 28 through April 1! Be sure to note that this will be a new pattern (Sunday to Wednesday). More to come! Cooking with Credentials! If you attended the 2008 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 $10! At only $17.50 plus $5.00 shipping & handling, it's still a bargain, though, so buy your copy now! And if you buy two or more, they're only $15.00 each, plus 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 SurveyTSMSS 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. |