What are the requirements for granting temporary privileges ?

^Note: Applicant for new privileges includes an individual applying for clinical privileges at the hospital for the first time; an individual currently holding clinical privileges who is requesting one or more additional privileges; and an individual who is in the reappointment/re-privileging process and is requesting one or more additional privileges.

The medical staff bylaws at MS.01.01.01 EP 14 must include a description of the privileging process including temporary and disaster privileges (see EM.02.02.13).  The description of temporary privileges would need to include the elements of performance outlined at MS.06.01.13 for the two acceptable reasons, i.e., important patient care need and new applicant temporary privileges.  

As noted at MS.06.01.13, new applicant temporary privileges are granted when the applicant is awaiting review and approval by the organized medical staff, or if delegated to the MEC, etc.  Temporary privileges for applicants for new privileges are granted for no more than 120 days.

The second, and most common reason for use of temporary privileges is to meet an important patient care need.  The need must be documented in the credentials file at the time privileges are granted.  It typically appears as a recommendation from the medical staff president or designee to the CEO who grants the privileges.  It could also appear in a statement by the CEO as to the reason for granting the temporary privilege(s).

Examples of important patient care needs may include, but are not limited to:

Failure to process a practitioner's reappointment application in a timely manner is not a reason for the use of 'important patient care need' temporary privileges. To grant temporary privileges in such a situation, the organization would need to justify and document that requiring the practitioner to stop practicing at the time of reappointment for failure to submit the application in a timely manner - or failure to process the application in a timely manner - would result in an important patient care need situation.  Examples may include, but not limited to:

The determination would need to be made on an applicant-by-applicant / case-by-case basis and not as a routine basis for all re-appointments that are not submitted or processed in a timely manner.
 

When temporary privileges are granted, whether awaiting governing body approval of full privileges, or to meet an important patient care need, the period of FPPE begins at the time temporary privileges are granted. For example, if temporary privileges are granted on July 1, 2021, however, the governing body does not meet until September 15, 2021, the period of FPPE starts July 1, 2021. Additionally, the 2-year reappointment cycle also begins July 1, 2021 and ends June 30, 2023.