Where We Stand
Section: Hospitals
Policy: Medical Staffs

Medical Staffs

OMA affirms it is the responsibility of medical staffs to serve, in reasonable rotation, those patients lacking patient-physician relationships who seek medical care from hospitals.
Adopted at the interim House of Delegates, 1978.


Pertaining to legal representation, OMA encourages the medical staff of each hospital in Oregon to secure its own legal counsel for advice on matters of mutual concern to the medical staff and the hospital. Additionally, OMA offers assistance to medical staffs and component medical societies in obtaining legal counsel with special interest and expertise in this field.

OMA believes it is in the best interests of the citizens of Oregon and consistent with each hospital's staff bylaws, medical staffs continue to develop the criteria for, investigate, review and make recommendations concerning the granting, denial or renewal of medical staff privileges of all providers of medical care on behalf of, but subject to, the final authority of each of the hospital's boards of trustees. Physicians and medical staffs should retain the prerogative for credentialing of all those who provide medical care in hospitals as is given to them by their bylaws.
Adopted at the interim House of Delegates, 1983.


OMA requests that the AMA adopt as policy its General Counsel's draft of Legal Status of the Hospital Medical Staff. This draft amplifies and embodies the concept that organized medical staffs be recognized as a separate legal entity and as an unincorporated association representing the collective professional responsibility of its individual members in the management and administration of medical care within the hospital.
Adopted at the interim House of Delegates, 1985.


OMA adopted the following additional resolutions which affect hospital medical staffs:

OMA encourages hospital medical executive committees and/or medical staff bylaws committees to periodically review the hospital/corporate bylaws, rules and regulations for any conflicts with the medical staff bylaws, rules and regulations (particularly during the medical staff bylaws amendatory process); and

OMA encourages hospital medical staff executive committees and/or bylaws committees to request their hospital boards of trustees to notify them and provide an opportunity for review of any proposed or impending changes in the hospital/corporate bylaws; and

OMA encourages hospital medical staff executive committees to advise members/applicants of the medical staff of the effect of these hospital/corporate bylaws, rules and regulations vis-à-vis medical staff membership; and

OMA should develop guidelines for appropriate and adequate physician profile information for medical staff reappraisal and reappointment purposes; and

OMA should also develop guidelines to assist medical staffs in the reporting, documentation and proper disclosure of physician profile information.
Adopted at the annual House of Delegates, 1988.

Return to the Where We Stand table of contents.