Frequently Asked Questions

Currently, the types of professionals noted below are members of the Medical Staff or Affiliated Medical Staff. Other types of professional health care providers may be employed by Yale New Haven Hospital but are not currently credentialed through the Medical Staff application process:

• Medical Staff: MD, DO, DPM, DDS, DMD
• Affiliated Staff: APRN, CNM, CNA, CNM, PA, PhD, SA (surgical assistant), audiologist, speech pathologist

Yes, for applicants to the Medical Staff, the fee is $300. The Affiliated Medical Staff applicants' fee is $200. Payment must be submitted by the applicant along with the application. Payment must be received before any processing will begin. Application fees are non-refundable, therefore, if for any reason, you withdraw your application or it is denied, no refund will be provided. It is important, therefore, to review the Medical Staff Bylaws before submitting your application to be sure that you meet the basic requirements.

Individuals who are appointed to the ACTIVE (Categories of Attending and Associate) as well as the Courtesy Medical Staff are required to pay Medical Staff dues every year in the amount of $100. Please refer to the Medical Staff Bylaws for specific definitions of the various categories of Medical Staff.

Invoices for Medical Staff dues are mailed out during the mid to late summer. Anyone who is a member of the Medical Staff in the categories indentified above at the time the invoices are sent out is required to pay dues regardless of how long they have been on staff.

Medical Staff dues and the Application Fee are utilized for completely different purposes.

Upon receipt of your application and the required documents as indicated on the Applicant Checklist, a staff member from the YNHH Department of Physician Services will review the materials and contact you concerning any outstanding documentation. If you have provided all of the required information, he or she will also begin processing your application by sending out requests for references to the individuals you have indicated on your application. Your professional school and any training programs will also be contacted directly for primary source verification of the information you provided on the application.

A credentialing specialist in the YNHH Department of Physician Services is assigned to your application and responsible for working with you in completing the approval process. The credentialing specialist will contact you (or someone you designate) concerning any information or material that is required to complete your application. Keep in mind that each application is as unique as the individual applicant. Although you may have complied in submitting the materials noted on the applicant checklist, the application approval process is an iterative one, and often, additional information is needed as processing proceeds.

The hospital is required to comply with specific and strict guidelines dictated by its accrediting body, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) as well as state of Connecticut hospital licensing laws and Medicare Conditions of Participation in processing and approving individuals for medical and affiliated Medical Staff membership and privileges. Please understand that the requirements set forth by these organizations must be followed in processing your application.

Some clinical departments require that applicants have an interview before their application is approved. It is the applicant's responsibility to contact the department and make arrangements for interviews. The names and contact phone numbers for the respective department chiefs, associate chiefs and section chiefs are listed under Medical Staff Leadership & Officers.

Applications are as unique as each applicant. The credentialing process exists in order to thoroughly review the qualifications and experience of applicants to provide safe and appropriate care to our patients based upon their education, training and recent experience. The general timeframe for this process is around 30 - 60 calendar days from the time a complete application is submitted to the time the applicant may begin practicing in the hospital. It is important to keep this in mind in terms of your practice start dates and any coverage you may provide in the hospital setting.

Additionally, please refer to Tips for Completing your Application which contains some suggestions for making the processing of your application easier and, therefore, quicker.

Keep in mind that there are many factors that can expedite or slow down the approval process. Some of these include:

• the time it takes for your reference writers to respond to our reference requests
• the extent to which you selected reference writers that have first-hand knowledge of your clinical practice and meet the requirements outlined under the Guidelines for Reference Writers applicable to your profession.
• whether you have a Connecticut State License at the time your application is submitted

At this point, your application is forwarded to the appropriate department chief and associate chief for their review. Interviews may take place during this time or earlier in the application process depending upon the preference of the department chief or associate chief. Once the application has been approved by your department, it is forwarded to the Credentials Committee.

The Credentials Committee reviews all applications on an ongoing basis. Once the Credentials Committee has approved your application, you will be notified. It is at this stage that you will receive your temporary privileges. You may begin working at YNHH and providing care to patients on YNHH premises once you have received this notification.

In accordance with hospital regulatory bodies, final approval of medical or affiliated Medical Staff membership and privileges must be granted by the Medical Committee of the hospital Board of Trustees. This group meets monthly.

In accordance with the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the accrediting body for YNHH, temporary privileges may only be granted when an application is complete and approved by the Credentials Committee. See What happens after all of my materials, reference letters, etc. have been received?

At a minimum, the Credentials Committee formally meets the first Tuesday of each month. If necessary, additional meetings of the Credentials Committee are scheduled during the summer months.

Although your application cannot be approved until you have a current state of Connecticut medical license, you are encouraged to submit your application while your state medical license application is pending. The responsible credentialing specialist can work on other aspects of your application while your licensure application is in process. Please be sure to contact the credentialing specialist as soon as you have received notification that your Connecticut state license has been issued.

Please contact the Department of Physician Services (203) 688-2615 to request a new delineation of privileges.

Once you receive the delineation, please request privileges to reflect your clinical practice and then fax back to (203) 688-5343 along with supporting case volume (if applicable, based on the criteria specified in certain privilege delineations). The Department of Physician Services staff will then forward your delineation to the respective chief/associate chief for review.