In 1992, President George Bush issued a proclamation designating the first week of November as National Medical Staff Services Awareness Week to acknowledge and thank medical services professionals (MSPs) for playing “an important role in our nation’s health care system.”
The American Medical Association-Organized Medical Staff Section also recognizes the medical services profession in a resolution that formally acknowledges “the importance and value of medical services professionals to the health care organization and its physician members, and recognizes their contribution and dedication in preserving quality patient care.”
When you visit a hospital, you see the doctors, the nurses, and other medical personnel. What you don’t see are the people behind the scenes who make certain the credentials of all practitioners who are caring for you are correct and have been verified.
MSPs are experts in provider credentialing and privileging, medical staff organization, accreditation and regulatory compliance, and provider relations in the diverse health care industry. They credential and monitor ongoing competence of the physicians and other practitioners who provide patient care services in hospitals, managed care organizations, and other health care settings.
MSPs are a vital part of the community’s health care team. They are dedicated to making certain that all patients receive care from practitioners who are properly educated, licensed, and trained in their specialty.