Synergy - July/August 2013 - 26

namss focus

Taking Care of Business:
Building Value as an MSP
By Kate Engel, MS, CPMSM

W

hether	you	are	a	credentialing	
specialist,	credentialing	
coordinator,	medical	staff	
manager,	director	or	vice	president,	all	
medical	services	professionals	(MSPs)	are	
subject	to	various	levels	of	respect	and	
perceived	value	to	our	organizations.	Most	
MSPs	work	extremely	hard,	for	long	hours,	
often	with	less-than-adequate	headcount,	to	
accomplish	the	seemingly	endless	task	of	
credentialing	providers.	

Why	do	some	achieve	a	greater	level	of	
accomplishment	and	stature	in	the	industry?	
Most	of	us	want	to	do	a	good	job	and	love	
what	we	do.	That’s	why	in	years	past,	many	
of	us	have	stayed	in	the	same	job,	at	the	
same	institution,	for	15,	20,	25	and	30-plus	
years.	I	started	in	credentialing	by	filling	a	
position	of	a	woman	who	had	been	medical	
staff	“secretary”	for	more	than	18	years.	She	
asked	if	I	wanted	to	have	her	job	when	she	
retired.	Thank you, Marilyn!	
But	things	have	changed	throughout	the	
last	10	years.	MSPs	are	still	hard	working	
and	dedicated	to	our	jobs,	but	we	are	
expected	to	do	more	than	ever	before.	
We	have	advanced	from	“medical	staff	
secretary”	to	titles	that	allow	us	to	be	
considered	upper-level	management.	We	
are	now	included	in	decision	making	at	the	
highest	level.	We	write	the	bylaws;	we	do	
not	simply	type	up	the	changes	made	by	
others.	We	create	policy	rather	than	present	
it	at	the	next	medical	executive	committee	
(MEC)	meeting.	We	have	certainly	come	a	
long	way	—	but have we come far enough?	
We	need	to	ask	ourselves	the	following	
question:	Are	we	merely	showing	up	
for	the	job	or	are	we	building	a	better	
profession?	We	are	at	a	crossroads	now	
within	the	industry	where	the	MSP	is	
respected	more	than	ever	before	for	the	
job	that	she	or	he	does.	We	are	planning	
and	strategizing	long-term	goals	and	
objectives,	becoming	integral	in	the	vision	
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SYNERGY July /A ugust 2013

and	mission	of	our	organization.	We	are	
involved	with	recruitment,	retention,	quality	
initiatives	and	overall	provider	relations,	as	
well	as	implementing	patient	safety	goals	
and	performance	targets.	Therefore,	it	is	
time	now	to	advance	our	profession	to	a	
higher	level	than	ever	before.	We	have	the	
opportunity	to	challenge	ourselves	to	an	
even	greater	degree	than	we	ever	thought	
possible.	But	how	do	we	do	this?

Respect
Remember	the	song	by	Aretha	Franklin,	
R-E-S-P-E-C-T?	Find out what it means to
me…	.	We	have	to	begin	with	valuing	
ourselves	as	MSPs.	We	also	have	to	value	
others.	It’s	all	about	self-esteem.	In	order	
to	receive	respect,	we	must	be	respectful.	
This	gives	us	an	advantage	in	how	we	are	
treated.	It	is	not	enough	to	know	that	we	
can	do	the	job,	but	rather,	we	must	have	
a	positive	attitude	while	we	are	doing	it.	
Instead	of	“never	let	them	see	you	sweat”	it	
should	be	“never	let	them	see	you	smirk.”	
We	are	oftentimes	the	first	person	the	
licensed	independent	practitioner	(LIP)	sees	
in	an	organization	that	he	or	she	is	joining,	
so	what	better	role	do	we	have	than	to	be	
the	public	relations	officer?	Nowadays,	it	is	
not	enough	to	be	liked;	more	importantly,	
we	should	be	thought	of	as	someone	to	
whom	the	physician	can	turn	for	an	opinion	
on	a	very	difficult	issue.	We	become	not	
only	credentialing	movers	and	shakers,	we	
become	change	agents.	This	launches	us	
onto	a	higher	plane	within	the	organizations	
that	we	serve.	In	Aretha’s	words,	“TCB	
(taking	care	of	business).”	

Education
We	need	to	ask	ourselves	a	few	questions.	
Have	we	taken	every	opportunity	to	educate	
ourselves?	Have	we	gone	beyond	webinars	
to	actually	pursuing	a	degree	if	we	do	
not	already	have	one?	Have	we	become	
certified?	Or	have	we	remained	stagnant	
by	just	doing	what	is	expected	of	us	and	
nothing	more?	It	is	essential	to	continue	to	
push	ourselves	in	a	direction	of	power	and	
influence.	A	mentor	of	mine	once	told	me	
that	“you	make	the	job	what	you	want	it	
to	be.”	She	was	right,	and	I	have	used	this	
statement	as	a	personal	goal.	I	have	made	
my	job	a	vocation	by	pursuing	lifelong	
learning	that	gives	me	more	credibility	in	
the	industry.	It	is	never	too	late	to	educate	
oneself.	You	would	be	surprised	at	how	easy	
it	really	is	and	how	meaningful,	as	well.	
Education	is	something	no	one	can	ever	take	
away	from	you.	To	take	a	page	from	our	
own	medical	staff	book,	credentials	do	give	
one	self-respect,	self-esteem	and	value.		

Advancing the Role of the MSP
Where	MSPS	once	use	to	sit	in	on	the	MEC	
meetings	and	take	notes,	we	should	now		
be	able	to	contribute	to	the	conversation	
and	assert	ourselves	in	the	decisions	made	
at	these	and	other	meetings.	We	should	be	
asked	to	come	to	the	table	and	augment	the	
discussion.	MSPs	can	be	accepted	as	valued	
contributors.	The	greatest	compliment	I	
received	was	from	my	chief	medical	officer,	
who	recently	told	me	I	was	his	“colleague”	
and	not	merely	his	employee.	All	MSPs	
can	be	colleagues	to	the	physicians	and
Synergy - July/August 2013

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