New privileging standard addresses emergencies
A new hospital standard from the Joint Com-mission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) addresses the problem of privileging physicians quickly when disaster strikes. The issue was raised recently in light of last year’s terrorist attacks and the threat of more to come.
The new standard addresses the privileging of volunteer Licensed Independent Practitioners (LIPs) during emergencies. Standard MS.5.14.4.1 states: "In circumstances of disaster(s), in which the emergency management plan has been activated, the chief executive officer or medical staff president or their designee(s) may grant emergency privileges." JCAHO reports that while the use of volunteers is not mandated, the standard provides a means for hospitals to use volunteers in emergencies.
In a statement released with the new standard, JCAHO explains that the standard outlines accept-able sources of identification of volunteer LIPs, including a current license to practice, a current picture hospital I.D. accompanied by the LIP’s license number, or verification of the volunteer practitioner’s identity by a current hospital or medical staff member. The standard is effective immediately.
"This standard was created following JCAHO’s debriefing of health care personnel involved in last year’s Houston flood and in response to the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, DC," the accrediting body reports. "These personnel identified a specific need for rapid access to clinicians to assist in meeting patient care demands in emergencies."
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