ABSTRACT
Pressures influencing the size and composition of medical staffs are increasing as hospitals and physicians respond to competition, market priorities, increasing numbers of physicians, and quality-of-care concerns. This article examines whether the quality of care provided by an applicant may be the primary criterion for admission to a hospital's medical staff. Methodological, legal, and organizational concerns that arise from this approach are reviewed. A quality criteria approach can assist in responding to increasing numbers of physicians, the transition to management care, and the marketing interests of a hospital.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Medical Staff Privileges , Medical Staff, Hospital/standards , Quality of Health Care/standards , Data Collection , United StatesABSTRACT
The city of Burlington, Vermont assessed a $2.83 million property tax against the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, a not-for-profit teaching hospital. The hospital responded by challenging the action in a civil court suit. The city argued that the hospital had ceased to be a charitable institution as the term was used in state statutes. The Vermont Superior Court found for the hospital, over-turning the assessment by the city and prohibiting collection of the tax. The court held that the hospital retained its charitable nature in spite of changes in the organization and the health care environment. The holding in the case provides one more view in the continuing national debate over the function and future of charitable hospitals.
