Why Is Credentialing Important Essay Example for Free

Why Is Credentialing Important Essay Physicians in general often undergo credentialing by the medical institutions and managed care organizations they want to work for and be affiliated with. Such organizations include hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) which are responsible in providing quality services to their subscribers (Sobelman, 2001). According to Freed et al (2006, p. 913) â€Å"credentialing is a systematic approach to the collection, review, and verification of a practitioners professional qualification†. A practitioners qualification can be assessed based on his or her professional license, certification, educational background and preparation, clinical experience and professional activity and practices (Jones, nd). Credentialing therefore is important in evaluating and assessing the competence of medical practitioners. It is important to both the physicians and medical institutions because credentialing serves as the basis of maintaining quality health care and patient safety (Norcal, 1999, p. 1). Basically, credentialing is a necessity for almost every healthcare providers particularly the physicians for they are directly responsible for the patients treatment outcomes. Credentialing is an ongoing process (Rozovsky et al, 1994) that involves review and verification of the physicians current professional license, current, education, training, hospital privileges and levels of liability insurance as well as review of the physicians office if applicable to determine the quality of service the physician provide to his own clients (Sobelman, 2001). It is an ongoing and continuous process because of the need to ensure that the training and practices of the physicians are aligned with the changing needs of the patients. The processes involved in credentialing are necessary particularly the validation of certificates, training and current hospital privileges as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration and Controlled Drug Substance Certificates because these are very important in avoiding any possible risk and professional liabilities in which the managed care organizations can be held liable. Certificates in particular assured the public that the physician has successfully completed an accredited educational programs, examinations and evaluations, and provide assurance that the physician possess the skills, expertise, knowledge and experience required in practicing his profession (Hillemeier, 2004) When the physicians capability, scope of practice and specializations are known, risks and liabilities are avoided and managed. From this, it can be viewed that managed care organizations conduct credentialing of physicians as part of their risk management activities. Defining, risk management, â€Å" it is a planned and systematic process of reducing and/or eliminating the probability that losses will occur† (Yale New Haven Hospital, n. d). It is very common that when patients has complaints regarding the quality of care given to them, the hospital or HMO lose patients or subscribers that could have provided them better profitability. Complaints from patients and subscribers also pose threat as it can decrease the level of trust patients and the public have for the organization. Thus, managed care organizations see to it that the physicians who will work for them have undergone credentialing which must be designed to aid organizations in choosing competent physicians that has the capability of providing quality care for their patients. Organizations are aware that competent physicians are an important asset to the organization. On the part of the physicians themselves, credentialing broadens the scope of their practice. The more the credentials a physician holds, the more clinical activities he will be authorized to perform. Therefore credentialing is a process that benefits both the organization and the physicians as well as the public. Because of credentialing, physicians and organizations have aimed to improve the competence and quality of healthcare services they offer and provide. Credentialing raises the standards of healthcare organizations. References: Freed, G. , Singer, D. , Lakhani, I. , et al (2006) Use of Board Certification and Recertification of Pediatricians in Health Plan Credentialing Policies, The Journal of American Medical Association, 295:913-918 Hillemeier A, (2004). Recertification now requires a secure examination. Journal of Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. ,38:376-377 Jones, Dolores, Reimbursement, Privileging, and Credentialing for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Retrieved online on February 24, 2007 www.medscape.com/

Justice for All Ages Essay -- Justice Philosophy Essays

Justice for All Ages The question of â€Å"What is Justice?† plagued the ancient philosophers and continues to plague the professional and amateur academic philosophers of today. The question is so hard, because it is quite difficult to know where to begin. Socrates1 spoke of justice in relation to the gods, Plato in relation to an individual’s duty in society, and Achilles, in a somewhat indirect way, in relation to honor and loyalty. All three of these men had very convincing arguments about the true nature of justice, but it is impossible to say now, or most likely ever, whether any of them actually got it right. The current goal is to synthesize their ideas with those of Aristophanes, Euripides2, and even Richard Kraut, representing the modern academic philosopher, in an effort to further develop and test the concept of justice. In order to approach this daunting task, it is important which medium is chosen through which to proceed. Following in the footsteps of Plato and Socrates, it seems fitting to do utilize the dialogue format. The dialogue format consists of a conversation in which a discussion ensues, questions are asked, hypotheses are formed and challenged, and hopefully, in the end there is some clearer understanding of the issue at hand. This dialogue takes place on the Isle of the Blessed where the now-immortals Achilles, Socrates, Aristophanes and Euripides live. Lasthenia3, a philosopher from ancient Greece, has brought Plato to the island and, naturally a discussion begins. The discussion, as promised, brings in the ideas of justice from many different points of view and ends with the unannounced entrance of Richard Kraut to add yet another twist. Characters of the dia... ...versity Press, 1998. Euripides. Bacchae. Translated by Paul Woodruff. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1998. Homer. The Iliad. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Kraut, Richard. The Defense of Justice in Plato’s Republic. Plato’s Republic: Critical Essays, edited by Richard Kraut. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1997. Plato. Apology of Socrates. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Plato. Euthyphro. Translated by Thomas G. West and Grace Starry West in Four Texts on Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Plato. Republic. Translated by G.M.A. Grube, revised by C.D.C. Reeve. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1992. Vlastos, Gregory. Socratic Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Mass Relationships in Chemical Reactions Essay

Aim The aim of this experiment is to show that a reaction doesn’t have always 100% yield by reacting NaHCO3 and HCl and determining the amount of the products to calculate actual yield. Introduction A chemical reaction will be quantitative if one of the reactants is completely consumed. In this experiment sodium bicarbonate and hydrochloric acid start a reaction. The formula of this reaction is below. NaHCO3 + HCl –> NaCl + H2O + CO2 Observations In this experiment, sodium bicarbonate is put in an evaporating dish and some amount of HCl is added in the dish and the reaction started. Bubbles are formed and CO2 gas is produced and the reaction started to make sound. There was also water vapor formed. White NaHCO3 started to turn into a colorless liquid after adding HCl. As the reaction takes place water is started to form. NaCl was dissolved in water, so salty water is heated to obtain NaCl. As the liquid is heated it turned into a yellowish color for a few seconds. Then it started bubbling and water vapor is formed. Raw Data: Trial # Mass of Dish+NaHCO3+Lid +- 0.1 (g) Mass of NaCl+Water+Dish+Lid +- 0.1 (g) Mass of NaCl+Dish+Lid +- 0.1 (g) 1 64.14 g. 72.16 g. 63.28 g. 2 65.14 g. 72.95 g. 63.91g. Mass of Evaporating Dish + Lid: 62.14 +-0.1 g Processed Data: Trial #1 64.14 – 62.14 = 2 g NaHCO3 72.16 – 62.14 = 10.02 g NaCl + H2O 63.28 – 62.14 = 1.14 g NaCl Trial # 2 65.14 – 62.14 = 3 g NaHCO3 72.95 – 62.14 = 10.81 g NaCl + H2O 63.91 – 62.14 = 2.07 g NaCl Trial # Mass of NaHCO3 (g) Mass of NaCl + H2O (g) Mass of NaCl (g) 1 2 g 10.02 g 1.14 g 2 3 g 10.81 g 1.77g Calculations Na: 14.01 g/mol, H: 1.01 g/mol, Cl: 35.45 g/mol, O: 16 g/mol, C: 12.01 g/mol NaCl= 49.46 g/mol H2O= 18.02 g/mol NaHCO3: 75.03 g/mol Mole number of NaHCO3 = mole number of NaCl Trial #1 2 / 73.03 = 0.0274 mol NaHCO3 1.14 / 49.46 = 0.0230 mol NaCl Theoretical Yield: 0.0274 mol NaCl Percent Yield: 0.0230 / 0.0274 = 0.8394 x 100 = 83.94% Trial #2 3 / 73.03 = 0.0411 mol NaHCO3 1.77 / 49.46 = 0.0358 mol NaCl Theoretical Yield: 0.0411 mol NaCl Percent Yield: 0.0358 / 0.0411 = 0.8710 x 100 = 87.10% Conclusion The results are 83.94% for trial #1 and 87.10% for trial #2. Trial #2 is more accurate. The accepted value is 100%. The percentage errors are 16.06% for trial #1 and 12.90% for trial #2. The uncertainties are too small to calculate on the results. Random errors presented in this experiment. All the errors were done by human beings. There weren’t any errors due to a flaw of a machine or the procedure. Evaluation When salty water is heated on the first trial, the substance started to spill around, because the substance is heated with high amount of heat and faster than it should be. As a result, some of the NaCl which stuck on the lid and spilled around was lost, so the result of the first experiment is not accurate. Other reasons that changed the results may be all NaHCO3 may not be dissolved. Too much HCl may be added on the dish. There may be still water molecules left on the salt after heating. To get more accurate results, the experiment should be done more slowly than this experiment. Especially the heating process should be done slowly, so the evaporation can be observed more carefully.

U.S. Constitution - Article I, Section 10

Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution plays a key role in the American system of federalism by limiting the powers of the states. Under the Article, the states are forbidden from entering into treaties with foreign nations; instead reserving that power to the President of the United States, with the approval of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. In addition, the states are forbidden from printing or coining their own money and from granting titles of nobility. Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution limits the powers of the states by prohibiting them from entering into treaties with foreign nations (a power reserved to the president with the consent of the Senate), printing their own money, or granting titles of nobility.Like Congress, the states may not pass â€Å"bills of attainder,† laws declaring any person or group guilty of a crime without due process of law, â€Å"ex post facto laws,† laws that make an act illegal retroactively or laws that interfere with legal contracts.In addition, no state, without the approval of both houses of Congress, may collect taxes on imports or exports, raise an army or harbor warships in times of peace, nor otherwise declare or engage in war unless invaded or in imminent danger. Article I itself lays out the design, function, and powers of the Congress – the legislative branch of U.S. government – and established many elements the vital separation of powers (checks and balances) between the three branches of government. In addition, Article I describes how and when U.S. Senators and Representatives are to be elected, and the process by which Congress enacts laws. Specifically, the three clauses of Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution do the following: Clause 1: the Obligations of Contracts Clause â€Å"No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.† The Obligations of Contracts Clause, typically called simply the Contracts Clause, prohibits the states from interfering with private contracts. While the clause might be applied to many types of common business dealings today, the framers of the Constitution intended it mainly to protect contracts providing for the payments of debts. Under the weaker Articles of Confederation, the states were allowed to enact preferential laws forgiving the debts of particular individuals. The Contracts Clause also prohibits the states from issuing their own paper money or coins and requires the states to use only valid U.S. money – â€Å"gold and silver Coin† – to pay their debts. In addition, the clause prohibits the states from creating bills of attainder or ex-post facto laws declaring a person or group of persons guilty of a crime and prescribing their punishment without the benefit of a trial or judicial hearing. Article I, Section 9, clause 3, of the Constitution similarly prohibits the federal government from enacting such laws. Today, the Contract Clause applies to most contracts such as leases or vendor contracts between private citizens or business entities. In general, the states may not obstruct or alter the terms of a contract once that contract has been agreed to. However, the clause applies only to the state legislatures and does not apply to court decisions. Clause 2: the Import-Export Clause â€Å"No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its [sic] inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul [sic] of the Congress.† Further limiting the powers of the states, the Export-Imports Clause prohibits the states, without the approval of the U.S. Congress, from imposing tariffs or other taxes on imported and exported goods in excess of the costs necessary for their inspection as required by state laws. In addition, the revenue raised from all import or export tariffs or taxes must be paid to the federal government, rather than the states. In 1869, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Import-Export Clause applies only to imports and exports with foreign nations and not to imports and exports between states. Clause 3: the Compact Clause â€Å"No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.† The Compact Clause prevents the states, without the consent of Congress, from maintaining armies or navies during a time of peace. Additionally, the states may not enter into alliances with foreign nations, nor engage in war unless invaded. The clause, however, does not apply to the National Guard. The framers of the Constitution were keenly aware that allowing military alliances between the states or between the states and foreign powers would seriously endanger the union. While the Articles of Confederation contained similar prohibitions, the framers felt that stronger and more precise language was needed to ensure the supremacy of the federal government in foreign affairs. Considering its need for it so obvious, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention approved the Compact Clause with little debate.