Credentialing is a chess game–managers need to work with multiple levels of staff within an office to get verification on an ongoing basis. While this may seem like a job of mainly paperwork, strong relationships can help create a more harmonious and efficient process.
As a credentialing professional, you must present yourself as a strategic leader–after all, you’re facilitating the opportunity to provide patient care. By taking the lead, you can set the tone for provider/support relationships going forward.
Credentialing managers may often only appear behind emails or phone calls, but showing up in person can be a powerful way to establish your buy-in. Engage with office leaders early in the process; this can also help you stay informed about new practitioners, procedures, and requirements. One of the best ways to do this is to attend relevant committee meetings. Speak up about credentialing requirements so that they are kept top of mind when creating workflows.
No provider is an island, and it’s essential that you connect new providers with the information and departments they need to get started. An onboarding meeting is a great way to introduce new providers to the relevant players, including HR, IT, provider enrollment, risk, quality, medical records, and their office staff. Your onboarding meeting should include clear timelines for accreditation, start dates, and any other relevant progress points. And most of all–make sure everyone is on the same page. Unity will push you farther faster.
Time is a commodity and much of it is wasted with ambiguous lines of communication. To keep the pipeline clear, funnel all communications through the medical staff office. Not only does this keep redundant messages to a minimum, it establishes the proper channels for anything related to credentialing. Outline the role of the medical staff office as the mouthpiece of credentialing to all relevant departments.
The role of credentialing manager is more than a title–it’s a claim of knowledge and expertise that must be proven. Educate yourself, research, and provide data that backs up your recommendations. This includes knowledge of your bylaws, the accrediting body, and state regulations. With this knowledge in hand, insert yourself into the decision-making process, whether your title is high-ranking or not. As the subject matter expert, be confident that your role in credentialing is more than just getting it done–it’s making the process better.
Now that you have established yourself as the expert, you can work to create more efficient processes. Examine the bylaws regularly to ensure they are up-to-date and necessary. Suggest technology solutions to make things easier across departments. With the latest compliance information and insights into industry solutions, you will be seen as a valuable asset, from the C-suite to the office assistant, creating a relationship of trust that moves the needle.
