MOC removal in Texas

[TWR]

Physicians at Houston’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Southeast have sent a clear and unified message on Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements: Not at our hospital.

During a General Medical staff meeting June 27, attending physicians voted unanimously to recommend that MOC requirements be removed systemwide. Memorial Hermann Health System bylaws require that any changes be approved by the active medical staff at all 16 of its hospitals.

“The message here is that every Memorial doctor needs to wake up and vote it out because that’s what the law says,” urologist Ori Hampel, MD, said, referring to Senate Bill 1148, a new law aimed at cracking down on what many Texas physicians see as “MOC abuse.” 

The bill, written by Sen. Dawn Buckingham, MD (R-Lakeway) and co-sponsored by Rep. Greg Bonnen, MD (R-Friendswood), will prevent the Texas Medical Board from using MOC as a requirement for doctors to obtain or renew a medical license. It also bars hospitals and health plans from requiring physicians to obtain MOC for credentialing or contracts. A hospital may require MOC only with an affirmative vote from its medical staff. It was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June and will take effect Jan. 1.

“The legislature did their job, Doctors Buckingham and Bonnen did their jobs, now all of us need to take back the autonomy we gave up when we allowed MOC,” Dr. Hampel said. “We need to vote it out of every bylaws in the state.”

Speaking to the Texas Medical Association, Senator Buckingham encouraged all doctors “to push to remove these outdated and unnecessary requirements from hospital bylaws. It is time for doctors to take back their profession and fight for quality care that best serves their patients.”

TMA strongly supported SB 1148, which TMA President Carlos J. Cardenas, MD, said prevents physicians from dealing with an "unnecessary — and very costly — distraction.”

“The MOC and all of its requirements have been taking physicians away from caring for their patients as they’ve performed tasks and studied for trivial exams that do not reflect their scope of practice,” Dr. Hampel said. “Additionally, the most qualified and experienced physicians time their retirements based on their MOC cycle, which removes physicians who would be happy to continue caring for Texans out of the physician workforce.”

During the legislative session, nearly 1,400 TMA members sent lawmakers 2,300 emails in support of the bill using the TMA Grassroots Action Center.

Action, July 5, 2017