Working Behind the Scenes | Credentialing & Medical Staff Services

ApolloMD Celebrates National Medical Staff Services Week

What comes to mind when you think of a hospital?

Is it the emergency medicine physician rushing to the patient in critical condition after an accident, or is it palliative care physician on the fourth floor meeting with a family about their loved one’s next steps? Perhaps it’s the radiologist performing an MRI on a high school baseball player after an injury, or maybe even the anesthesiologist calming the five year old girl as she goes in to the pre-op room before having her tonsils removed.

Do you think about how the hospital operates? What about those people working behind the scenes? Surely someone has verified these physicians’ education and certification. Right?

According to Kim Larsen, Director of Credentialing at ApolloMD, medical staff services (MSS) and the credentialing department are among the many teams that work behind the scenes to do just that.

About the Team

“MSS professionals are the experts in provider credentialing and privileging, medical staff organization, accreditation and regulatory compliance and provider relations,” said Larsen. “As a vital role in the healthcare industry, these professionals make certain that all patients receive care from a clinical team that is properly educated, licensed and trained in their specialty.”

At ApolloMD, the credentialing department is organized with team members focusing on three separate areas: licensing, financials and hospital privileges. The team has a total of 43 members and only 20 of those members work directly with the MSS teams at ApolloMD’s partner hospitals to assist with compiling required documentation for the 1250+ physicians.

“We consider the MSS team members at partner facilities just as much a part of our ApolloMD team,” said Larsen. “Working so closely we have built great professional relationships and friendships. It is nice to be able to call someone and ask about their family, not just call for help.”

Instead of the physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) checking the status of their applications, members of ApolloMD’s credentialing department work with the MSS teams to check applications statuses, verify applications are progressing and act as the liaison between the facility and ApolloMD. The environment is fast-paced with tight timelines making it imperative for everyone to work as a team.

“When times are tight, we work together to get the job done. We’ve pulled many rabbits out of hats by accomplishing quick turnaround times for our physicians,” said Larsen. “We work hard so our physicians can get in the hospitals as soon as possible to start making a difference in the lives of their patients.

Celebrating Those Behind the Scenes

National Medical Staff Service Awareness Week is celebrated every year during the first full week of November. It serves as a time to recognize those working behind the scenes to credential and monitor the ongoing competence of the physicians and other practitioners who provide patient care services in hospitals, managed care organizations and other healthcare settings.

“We are more than thankful for the MSS team members at our partner facilities,” said Larsen. “Our jobs would not be possible without their excellent communication and dedication. They truly are some of the best people and the most hardworking professionals.”

Kim Larsen currently serves as the Director of Credentialing. She oversees many aspects of the department operationally and ensures positive working relationships are established with ApolloMD’s hospital partner MSS teams. Kim has worked for ApolloMD for twelve-and-a-half years, with eleven-and-a-half of those years in the credentialing department. She says her favorite thing about working here is her relationship with her team, both internally and with the hospital partners.