Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Subscribers

5 Innovations in Infection Prevention - Outpatient Surgery Magazine - June 2018

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

Issue link: http://outpatientsurgery.uberflip.com/i/993644

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 21 of 141

How Do You Deal With Aging Surgeons? Assess cognitive and physical skills in the twilight of their careers. Y ou can't force older sur- geons into retirement, but it's important to find out if they can still operate safely. Here at Stanford Health Care (SHC), the medical staff implemented a Late Career Practitioner Policy, which uses focused physical exams and robust peer reviews to screen physicians. Our goal was to stay out in front of the aging physician issue with a policy that's evidence- based, practical and as respectful as possible. Here are its key ele- ments. • Application. After turning 75, all physicians practicing at SHC must undergo physicial exams and peer reviews every 2 years. Age 75 was chosen somewhat arbitrarily, but the choice was guided by data that show the rate of decline of cognitive functions starts gradually as early as age 35 or 40 until about age 70 or 75, when deterioration begins to increase at a faster pace. This policy does not violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which protects workers 40 years of age and older from being denied employment due to advanc- ing age, as physicians practicing at SHC are not hospital employees. • Peer reviews. Our policy initially included a cognitive screen, but we critically reexamined that element when some physicians voiced 2 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 1 8 Staffing Ann Weinacker, MD • GRAY AREA Plenty of older surgeons are top performers, but it's important to identify the docs who are on the decline.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Subscribers - 5 Innovations in Infection Prevention - Outpatient Surgery Magazine - June 2018