CMO Update
Richard Augustus
CMO
2017 Model Bylaws
In April 2014, the MEC discussed changes to our existing Bylaws and agreed to support the adoption of the HCA Model Bylaws. With these Model Bylaws, we get input from nationally recognized legal experts to ensure ongoing regulatory compliance. For several years, the Joint Commission has recognized the Model Bylaws as best practice. In addition, as a subscriber of the Model Bylaws, research and language updates will be developed and provided to the hospital when new standards are adopted by the various regulatory agencies, which reduces the burden on the hospital’s Bylaws Committee and MEC to maintain continuous compliance. The new Model Bylaws documents are the product of collaboration between two organizations: Horty, Springer & Mattern and the HCA Clinical Services Group. The new Bylaws documents are comprised of the Medical Staff Bylaws, the Credentials Policy, and the Organization Manual. Over the last year and a half, the Bylaws Committee — spearheaded by Dr. Ronald Cornwell — has revised each of the models to fit for West Valley, and the Medical Staff will review and vote on the final documents in October/November. If adopted, there will be some slight changes to what we do now, but overall the benefits of adopting these documents will make the Medical Staff more compliant with survey readiness and will allow for better quality within the medical staff as a whole.