Credentialing & Peer Review

Advising hospital and medical staff leadership is a cornerstone of Hall Render's health care practice. Our firm advises hospital and health system clients every day on both routine and complex medical staff issues, including those related to credentialing, privileging and peer review. Our attorneys counsel hospital administration, medical staff leadership and governing boards on virtually every aspect of hospital-physician relationships. We prepare medical staff bylaws and credentialing policies and assist clients to ensure compliance with state law and accreditation standards. We are actively involved in credentialing and re-credentialing issues, including delineation of clinical privileges, review of National Practitioner Data Bank entries and responding to third party requests for confidential and peer review privileged information. We assist in creating policies on a variety of issues in virtually all aspects of medical staff and hospital operations.

Hall Render is one of the most experienced firms in the country in dealing with physician peer review matters. Having seen and assisted with a variety of such matters over many years, our attorneys are able to provide unique insight and informed recommendations. We assist clients in reviewing and preparing incident reports, provide counsel during investigations, develop and evaluate appropriate corrective action, represent the Medical Staff Executive Committee during the investigation and fair hearing process, draft briefs and provide appellate representation. We advise our clients concerning the preparation and submission of reports to the National Practitioner Data Bank, negotiation of settlements and all other aspects of the peer review process, including subsequent related litigation, should it arise. We also provide advice and counsel in appropriately addressing physician impairment issues, whether the impairment stems from drug, alcohol, emotional or other circumstances. We provide guidance in responding to known or suspected drug diversions, including law enforcement and DEA reporting requirements.