Questions and Answers For
July 22, 2004 Medical Staff Briefing

Are there any anger management programs for practitioners which may be able to address and resolve anger problems?

You should check with your state professional licensing agencies for local programs. We are familiar with two programs which focus on evaluating and treating practitioners with a variety of problems including anger management. These programs are: Rush Behavioral Health Center in Oak Park, Illinois - contact Dr. Daniel Angres 312-563-3600 and Professional Renewal Center, Lawrence, Kansas - contact Kirsten Irons, 877-978-4772.

We had two gastroenterologists that were coming to our hospital for satellite clinics. These physicians left our hospital and took their patients with them and are now requesting to come back. Our medical staff members are not keen on re-instating privileges for these physicians and we would like to know the legal implications if we deny privileges.

Any decision to deny privileges must be consistent with the applicable hospital and medical staff governing documents as well as applicable federal and state law. If these practitioners are reapplying for privileges and appointment, they must be considered by applying the same criteria and processes used for all applicants. The basis for the denial must be supported by the facts presented through each application as well as the applicable governing documents and law. Upon review of each application and verification of all information considered, the reviewing committees may want to consult with hospital counsel as to any potential basis for denial to assure that such basis is defensible.

We are doing AMA, Data Bank, OIG reports on all of our new physicians. Is it also necessary to do criminal background checks or should these things show up in the AMA reports?

Your medical staff bylaws and credentialing procedures may dictate criminal background checks as may state law. The data sources cited are not in any way a comprehensive resource for criminal background information.

We have been doing OIG exclusion reports on new physicians, however, our main office has requested that we do EPLS exclusion reports. Is there any difference in these agencies and is there another agency that would be more accurate to use?

EPLS is the Excluded Parties Listing System, which is the electronic version of the Listing of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-procurement Programs. The website includes numerous federal agencies including HHS. When searching through this site, if an individual appears on the OIG list it will also appear through this search.