National Medical Staff Services Awareness Week was observed at Naval Hospital Pensacola (NHP) on November 4-10.

Medical services professionals (MSPs) are the individuals behind the scenes who make certain the credentials of all providers who are caring for patients are correct and have been verified. MSPs are experts in provider credentialing and privileging, medical staff organization, accreditation and regulatory compliance and provider relations in the diverse health care industry. They credential and monitor ongoing competence of the physicians and other practitioners who provide patient care services in hospitals, managed care organizations, and other health care settings.

“MSPs are critical to any military treatment facility,” said Jesus Vitug, a MSP at NHP. “MSPs are expected to advise the Privileging Authority and command leadership on credentialing and privileging matters. MSPs are the subject matter experts on credentials and privileging issues, provide administrative assistance to the chair of the Medical Executive Committee and the chair of Credentials Review Committee as applicable.”

In 1992, President George Bush issued a proclamation designating the first week of November as “National Medical Staff Services Awareness Week,” to acknowledge and thank MSPs for playing “an important role in our nation’s health care system.”

MSPs are a vital part of the community’s health care team. They are dedicated to making certain that all patients receive care from practitioners who are properly educated, licensed and trained in their specialty.

“MSPs at NHP are vital in ensuring that our providers are timely credentialed and privileged, which directly impact access to care for our beneficiaries,” said Vitug.  “Additionally, they are a critical component in ensuring patient safety and focus on being a High Reliability Organization.”

Get more information about the Navy from US Navy Facebook or Twitter.

For more news from Naval Hospital Pensacola, visit www.navy.mil/.