Why is credentialing such a pain?

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sunlioness

sunlioness

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My start date at my new job has been pushed back repeatedly for credentialing reasons.

Today they emailed me saying I needed to provide a detailed written explanation for why I resigned my privileges at one facility. Um, because I left there and took a new job elsewhere within the month? Like it says on my CV? Is that not detailed enough? I don't got anything else.

Once I'm able to start, I'm gonna stay at this place forever. Because I'm sure the next guys will be asking for a detailed written explanation about this gap in my employment history. Heh.


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The toughest process I've ever had to go through. I hope I end up liking it in the end. I think I will. Part of it though is extensive background checks and I don't even work with kids. But that's in large part because of the state, I think. I'm now in a state that requires background checks for volunteers selling tickets to a fair in the park because kids might be there.


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sunlioness said:
The toughest process I've ever had to go through. I hope I end up liking it in the end. I think I will. Part of it though is extensive background checks and I don't even work with kids. But that's in large part because of the state, I think. I'm now in a state that requires background checks for volunteers selling tickets to a fair in the park because kids might be there.


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And then you have to list every address that you've ever lived at and every person's name with whom you've ever lived and how old they are.... which is basically impossible if you've ever been in grad school/residency, etc, and had a ton of room shares. Because I can really remember the name of the person who I subletted a room with that summer back in college...
 
Ugh. That sounds annoying. I have a moonlighting gig that pays a little less than some other moonlighting gigs in town, but I didn't think about switching just because I think that $20o to $300 pre tax extra for a weekend isn't worth going through credentialing again.

Hope the job is worth the effort. :)
 
I don't know, but it's so dumb. Like why do they have to contact my training programs every single time to verify that I was there? I have certificates. I'm licensed and board certified (so obviously I trained somehwere). Why do they have to verify it directly every single time?

Apparently though my "um, I was changing jobs" explanation was satisfactory. Because I'm privileged now. But I can't see patients until they're convinced I'm not a child molester. That'll probably take a few more days.


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sunlioness said:
I don't know, but it's so dumb. Like why do they have to contact my training programs every single time to verify that I was there? I have certificates. I'm licensed and board certified (so obviously I trained somehwere). Why do they have to verify it directly every single time?

Apparently though my "um, I was changing jobs" explanation was satisfactory. Because I'm privileged now. But I can't see patients until they're convinced I'm not a child molester. That'll probably take a few more days.


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I've been wondering this too. I'm doing locum tenens, so I've had to get licensed in several states, and credentialed at several hospitals, since July. Why do I have to send you a copy of my med school diploma, and provide my med school's name and address, and phone and fax numbers of the registrar's office, and provide my USMLE step score report? Why do I have to send a copy of my residency graduation certificate, and my program director's email, fax and phone numbers (which you actually do use to verify that I graduated,) and provide "proof of board eligibility" in the form of my exam registration email? Are there really totally fake docs out there who have faked and forged med school graduation, USMLE passing, and residency graduation, and secured employment as physicians?
 
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I can't even imagine what a pain in the ass it must be to do locum and go through this crap every month or so. Think of the trees, dammit. Think of the poor trees.

Hahahaaaa. I just saw the "verified physician" tag on my post. See? Even SDN knows. Is it so hard?
 
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sunlioness said:
I can't even imagine what a pain in the ass it must be to do locum and go through this crap every month or so. Think of the trees, dammit. Think of the poor trees.
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Especially since immediately after getting licensed--which entails providing all of the above information to the state medical board--I have to apply for hospital privileges, which entails providing all of the information I just provided to the state medical board, upon which they based their decision to license me, plus proof of my license. What's the matter, doesn't the hospital trust the job the state medical board did?
 
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Trismegistus4 said:
Especially since immediately after getting licensed--which entails providing all of the above information to the state medical board--I have to apply for hospital privileges, which entails providing all of the information I just provided to the state medical board, upon which they based their decision to license me, plus proof of my license. What's the matter, doesn't the hospital trust the job the state medical board did?
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Well, on the bright side. You probably have all that stuff in a conveniently accessible file folder by this point. Heh. I had to dig through my closet. The name of the malpractice carrier I had seven years ago was the real doozy to find. And then they wanted to know who my contact there was. I don't think I had one?

If I ever get sued that might be when I quit. Even if completely unfounded, I just can't imagine the lifelong headache thereafter.

I hear Home Depot is hiring. I could help people build their decks. Doesn't that sound happy? A nice deck for summer time parties and barbecues.
 
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sunlioness said:
Well, on the bright side. You probably have all that stuff in a conveniently accessible file folder by this point. Heh. I had to dig through my closet. The name of the malpractice carrier I had seven years ago was the real doozy to find. And then they wanted to know who my contact there was. I don't think I had one?

If I ever get sued that might be when I quit. Even if completely unfounded, I just can't imagine the lifelong headache thereafter.

I hear Home Depot is hiring. I could help people build their decks. Doesn't that sound happy? A nice deck for summer time parties and barbecues.
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Can you do a paver patio?
 
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sunlioness said:
Well, on the bright side. You probably have all that stuff in a conveniently accessible file folder by this point. Heh. I had to dig through my closet. The name of the malpractice carrier I had seven years ago was the real doozy to find. And then they wanted to know who my contact there was. I don't think I had one?

If I ever get sued that might be when I quit. Even if completely unfounded, I just can't imagine the lifelong headache thereafter.

I hear Home Depot is hiring. I could help people build their decks. Doesn't that sound happy? A nice deck for summer time parties and barbecues.
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I don't think it would be feasible to do locums for a long term. These hospital privileging applications ask for a list of all the hospitals you've been affiliated with for the past 10 years. Imagine trying to maintain that list as it grows to 30 pages.
 
Trismegistus4 said:
I don't think it would be feasible to do locums for a long term. These hospital privileging applications ask for a list of all the hospitals you've been affiliated with for the past 10 years. Imagine trying to maintain that list as it grows to 30 pages.
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Yikes. And then you're gonna have to offer detailed written explanations as to why you left each one.
 
What takes so long on the background checks? I thought that was always the quick part. Send your fingerprints away, few days later you're good to go. Unless of course the state board ignores its own instructions to you about needing to declare any offenses OTHER THAN TRAFFIC, then harasses you for not declaring your TRAFFIC (15+ speeding) offense.
 
There's a service for state boards that does this once and compiles all this info to send out to whatever state board needs it later. Surely something also exists for facility credentialing purposes. If not...
 
WingedOx said:
This sounds VAish.
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Except at the VA it takes 4 weeks, and you can only show up between 2 and 2:15 on Nov. 17. And the computers might not be working that day, so you'll have to show up on Dec. 14. And you have to get re-fingerprinted to renew your badge for 2 weeks (this is a true story).
 
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Doctor Bagel said:
Except at the VA it takes 4 weeks, and you can only show up between 2 and 2:15 on Nov. 17. And the computers might not be working that day, so you'll have to show up on Dec. 14. And you have to get re-fingerprinted to renew your badge for 2 weeks (this is a true story).
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I think we've only had one out of our last 4 hires start on time because of EQIP/OPM. I found out on Friday that I wasn't starting as planned the next monday. (my director did call and tell me that they approved a SIGNIFICANT increase in salary from what they initially promised me in the same phone call they told me I wasn't starting on time, so I can't complain too much, though the post-residency bank account was running a bit low for a while)
 
WingedOx said:
I think we've only had one out of our last 4 hires start on time because of EQIP/OPM. I found out on Friday that I wasn't starting as planned the next monday. (my director did call and tell me that they approved a SIGNIFICANT increase in salary from what they initially promised me in the same phone call they told me I wasn't starting on time, so I can't complain too much, though the post-residency bank account was running a bit low for a while)
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Nice. My comment was going to be to ask for your normal pay without work due to them delaying the process. A friend of mine was paid about 60% salary to wait as his clinic was delayed in opening at a new location.

Doesn't hurt to ask. Some contracts include a start date. Not paying you would technically violate the contract but the employer won't offer. They won't want to voluntarily pay you.
 
TexasPhysician said:
Nice. My comment was going to be to ask for your normal pay without work due to them delaying the process. A friend of mine was paid about 60% salary to wait as his clinic was delayed in opening at a new location.

Doesn't hurt to ask. Some contracts include a start date. Not paying you would technically violate the contract but the employer won't offer. They won't want to voluntarily pay you.
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Yeah, VA contracts are odd to say the least. Everything was annoyingly informal until right up until I got (officially) hired. I wouldn't have put up with it if not for the fact that I knew the people who were hiring me and had reason to trust their decision making. FWIW, the job has been exactly what was promised (but with higher pay). I had others in my residency class who signed what seemed like much more solid contracts with private groups who have been miserable since they've actually started the job.
 
TexasPhysician said:
Nice. My comment was going to be to ask for your normal pay without work due to them delaying the process. A friend of mine was paid about 60% salary to wait as his clinic was delayed in opening at a new location.

Doesn't hurt to ask. Some contracts include a start date. Not paying you would technically violate the contract but the employer won't offer. They won't want to voluntarily pay you.
Click to expand...

I asked for my health insurance to start at least. They said no. My contract did have a start date, but it also has a bunch of stuff about how I have to be credentialed and pass these background checks. So I figured if I asked for money based on the contract start date, they'd say no and point to the other bit. And that seemed like getting off on the wrong foot.

But I figured it couldn't hurt to ask for the insurance. But nope. And because it starts the first if the month regardless, I'm not now insured until November.

It looks like everything is all sorted now for me to start next week.


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sunlioness said:
I asked for my health insurance to start at least. They said no. My contract did have a start date, but it also has a bunch of stuff about how I have to be credentialed and pass these background checks. So I figured if I asked for money based on the contract start date, they'd say no and point to the other bit. And that seemed like getting off on the wrong foot.

But I figured it couldn't hurt to ask for the insurance. But nope. And because it starts the first if the month regardless, I'm not now insured until November.

It looks like everything is all sorted now for me to start next week.


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I had a month to month BCBS PPO for like 80 bucks a month while I was waiting. Deductable would have been ugly, but it did the job.
 
WingedOx said:
I think we've only had one out of our last 4 hires start on time because of EQIP/OPM. I found out on Friday that I wasn't starting as planned the next monday. (my director did call and tell me that they approved a SIGNIFICANT increase in salary from what they initially promised me in the same phone call they told me I wasn't starting on time, so I can't complain too much, though the post-residency bank account was running a bit low for a while)
Click to expand...

OPM could probably save time and money by having you send your info straight to China and skipping the hacking process.
 
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