WAMSS Newsletter - Winter 2025 Print

President's Report

Hello winter and fellow WAMSS members!  The cold and snowy season is officially upon us a little earlier than normal this year.  I hope that this newsletter finds you staying warm and well!  It’s hard to believe that the end of the year is just 19 days away.  Where has the year gone?  As I reflect on all that has happened this year, there have been a lot of changes in the medical staff services industry, regulation standards, survey process evaluations, etc.  If there is one thing that I have learned in my time as a Medical Staff Professional (MSP), it is that change is a constant in healthcare.  It is important that MSP’s stay knowledgeable, flexible, and adaptable to succeed in today’s world.  With the impending holiday season and start of a new year, the drive to do more can sometimes mean that we neglect ourselves.  In the rush of the season, please take some time to slow down, look at the holiday lights, smell the gingerbread, enjoy time with your loved ones, and be grateful for all that you have accomplished this year!            

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Welcome New Members

Please welcome the following new members who joined WAMSS in the third and fourth quarter of 2025:

·         Denise Diggs

·         Angela Skretta

·         Abigail Inabnet

 

We currently have 139 WAMSS members!  Do you know anyone who could benefit from WAMSS membership?  Please share the Membership page on the WAMSS website with them or reach out to our WAMSS Membership chair, Melissa Woodworth at [email protected] for more information.

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What is the WAMSS Board doing?

The WAMSS Board of Directors has been diligently working on our Strategic Plan, which includes the creation of orientation checklists.  These checklists outline our Board member roles and responsibilities and create standard work where available.  These training documents will ensure that there is no loss of knowledge when Board positions change in the future.  Thank you to all the Board members for your hard work on this worthwhile initiative!   

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Educational Opportunities

While WAMSS does not endorse any outside agencies, I’m certainly not one to turn down free NAMSS Continuing Education (CE) credits!  Acorn Healthcare Credentialing Solutions and Team Med Global are partnering up to provide free one-hour sessions for MSP’s in Provider Enrollment, Credentialing, and more.  Register Here: https://acorncredentialing.com/acorn-webinar-registration/.  Upcoming sessions include:

 

  • Policy Ripple: Federal Shifts Shaping PLP Workflows – Jan 22, 2026
  • Building the Bench: Onboarding, Training & Retention in FQHCs – Feb 5, 2026
  • The Latest Buzz: Hot Topics & Payer Updates – Feb 11, 2026

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Education Opportunities

Thank you to everyone that participated in our Lunch and Learn Survey, which was created and distributed via email by Teresa Smith our Website and Communications Chair.  Please find the results of this survey and ask for our WAMSS member experts!

 

The results from the Lunch and Learn Survey results are outlined below.

  • Co-Pilot Education – Top Choice
  • Spreadsheet Education – Second Choice
  • Preparing for a survey
    • JC Standards 2026 - changes
  • MDStaff Reports – I have reached out to MDStaff, and they shared that if you are a user of their software, educational sessions are available on a regular basis. Please reach out to your MDStaff representative if you are not aware of the educational opportunities.
  • Certification Study Group – We recently learned of a few FACEBOOK groups.
    • Medical Credentialing Certification Study Group
    • CPCS & CPMSM Professionals
    • CPCS Networking Hub

 

Privilege Topics:

  • Privilege Form Development
    • Core vs. Laundry List
    • Are criteria included for all privileges?
  • APP Chart Reviews with the new WI laws for NPs and PAs
    • APRN Modernization Act - Collaborating Physician Requirement Changes
  • OPPE/FPPE
    • Non-compliance in completing FPPE reviews from the assigned reviewer.
  • Medical Assisted Treatment

 

Credentialing Topics:

  • Allied Health Credentialing
  • Ambulatory Clinics
  • Efficiencies in Processes
  • WI ACT 17 – Assembly Bill 257 and how it will impact nursing practice.
  • AI and Credentialing
  • URAC Credentialing Standards

 

Provider Enrollment Topics:

  • Delegated Credentialing
  • Navigating Change Audits
  • NCQA Survey
    • New requirements
  • How to manuals for providers

 

We need your help in planning these educational opportunities.

  • Are you a content experiment in any of these areas?
  • Are you willing to teach a session?

 

If you are interested in assisting with leading an educational session, please reach out to Teresa Smith, WAMSS Website-Communications Chair at [email protected] or 231-258-8053.

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Scholarships/Awards

Jackie Snow, CPCS, was the lucky recipient of a WAMSS scholarship to assist in helping her travel to the NAMSS Conference in Portland, Oregon.  As part of the scholarship award, she was asked to submit an article for our newsletter to share the knowledge that she gained from this experience.  Please see her article submission below:

 

I began learning the basics of credentialing from a wonderful mentor, Kris Moncel. That was way back in 1995. Time has flown since I started in the Medical Staff Professional field, and I just attended my first in-person NAMSS Conference in Portland, OR this year!

 

There was a good variety of topics to choose from. The Skill Booster 30-minute session “Prompt Power: Unlocking AI for MSPs” was interesting to me. So much so that I attended the later more in-depth session “You Be the Judge – Harnessing Large Language Models for Medical Staff Documentation Creation.” Susan DuBois, CPMSM, CPCS and Geneva Million, CPCS, CPMSM provided great information.

 

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in credentialing and privileging was not so much on my radar, though it should have been! I had heard of it, of course, and had used it for a work proposal and some other tasks in my personal life. I did not think much about using it for my work. I had some fear of using it, due to confidentiality and compliance.

 

We learned that Large Language Models (LLMs) can pull documents that can be used for a beginning draft of privileging forms, policies, training materials and reports. They can generate other communications including emails. Appropriate tone of the communication can also be requested. Areas of caution for this amazing technology include accuracy and clinical content, confidentiality and compliance, medical terms, ethical considerations and legal liability – careful review of the material you receive from AI and adapting to your own situations is a MUST when using AI for development of any type of documents.  

 

There are private and public LLMs. There are some protections with the private models, but public models do not have those. This means anything you enter in your request can show up in someone else’s request, as the information has been entered into the shared data set. To maintain confidentiality, it was recommended to keep any confidential information (facility name, patient name, provider name, dates, details of any events, peer review information, etc.) out of your request. If you create a general request with basics of what you are wanting from the LLM, you can get a basic draft. After you’ve copied and saved the document into your own files, you can add your details.

 

In the end, we were all assured that AI and LLMs will not be replacing the Medical Staff Professional. We will always be needed for our critically thinking human brains to do the real work!  

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NAMSS Updates

Tomorrow’s MSP Podcast

Have you had a chance to check out NAMSS monthly “Tomorrow’s MSP Podcast”?  It is a great way to grow your knowledge and get helpful tips and tricks for navigating the MSP landscape.  Some of the most recent topics include:

·         Proud to Be an MSP Miniseries: Episode 1 – 11/3/2025

·         Shaping Tomorrow: Delegated Credentialing and Credentialing by Proxy in the MSP World – 10/22/2025

·         Partners in Excellence: The CMO and MSP Connection – 9/18/2025

 

I highly recommend taking the time to listen to these podcasts!  Here is the link to the NAMSS website: https://www.namssgateway.org/Podcast

 

NAMSS 2026 Conference

October 18-21, 2026 - NAMSS 50th Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, Louisiana.  This will be a celebration of 50 years of NAMSS in Mardi Gras City so it should be an amazing experience! 

 

Newly certified

Please congratulate these WI members who are newly NAMSS Certified as of Summer 2025:

·         Raekwon Banks – CPCS certification

·         Jennifer Mangan-Moore - CPCS certification

·         Staci Krokos – CPMSM certification

·         Valeri Lane – CPMSM certification

 

Are you interested in learning more about NAMSS certifications?  Please click on the link to learn more about the types of NAMSS certifications available, exam dates and deadlines, etc.: Certification. 

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Advocacy

Registration is NOW OPEN for WHA’s annual Advocacy Day on Wednesday, February 25! This event provides a powerful opportunity for hospital employees, trustees and volunteers to make a visible impression in the state capitol, and offers a chance to connect, learn and influence critical health care issues.

Gather your hospital team and join more than 1,200 peers from across Wisconsin to make Advocacy Day 2026 the most impactful yet.

Event Details

  • Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026
  • Location: Monona Terrace, Madison, WI
  • Cost: Free (pre-registration required)
  • Register here!
  • For event information, visit our website.
  • Note: No onsite registration is planned for the day of the event. A WHA issued name badge will be checked and verified before entry into the meeting room is allowed.

 

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Closing Thoughts

I’d like to end my winter newsletter with some closing quotes to consider on the eve of the new year, which will bring both endings and new beginnings:

Endings are always tough, but I believe when something ends, there are new beginnings, new opportunities, and new things to be excited for, too. – Mike Fisher

Every day is a chance to begin again.  Don’t focus on the failures of yesterday, start today with positive thoughts and expectations. – Catherine Pulsifer

The start of something new brings the hope of something great.  Anything is possible. - Unknown

Is there something that you would like to see added to our quarterly newsletter?  Have you learned something new over the past few months in your Medical Staff Professional or Provider Enrollment role?  Our membership would love to learn from you!  Articles can be 2-3 paragraphs long and would be a great addition to the newsletter.  Please submit your article to me via email at [email protected].

 

Yours in humble service,

 

Maggie Fuchs, CPMSM, CPCS

WAMSS President

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