industry feature The Medical Services Professional of the Future By Dr. Mark M. Montgomery "When you get to a fork in the road, take it!" S o said the infamous philosopher and New York Yankee professional baseball player Yogi Berra - and no doubt there are many forks in the road today presenting themselves to all healthcare professionals, including Medical Staff Services Professionals (MSPs). The healthcare reform train has definitely left the station and gathering speed. The demand for a truly affordable healthcare system in the United States will bring more significant changes to the way we deliver healthcare than perhaps any other single event in our history. And failure is not an option. We will have a new and affordable healthcare delivery system in the future. Exactly how that system will look is still 16 / SYNERGY JANUARY/FEBR UARY 2015 debatable, represented by all the forks in the road. Which one to take? Remember, if you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there! While it may be difficult to identify the final destination for our healthcare delivery system, we know enough to identify options for the evolving and potentially expanding role of MSPs. The Gatekeepers of Patient Safety MSPs are in an enviable position as gatekeepers of patient safety, and that role should not change; there will always be a need for effective and reliable practitioner credentialing and privileging. Innovative programs such as NAMSS PASSTM and the "Ideal Credentialing Solution" are being developed and promoted by the NAMSS Board of Directors. Such programs will certainly bring efficiencies to the process needed to support cost reduction required for value based healthcare of the future. The healthcare reform mandate for overall healthcare cost reduction and quality outcome improvement will provide many additional opportunities to expand the current MSP gatekeeper role. Healthcare vs Sick Care Successful healthcare systems of the future will be focused on keeping populations healthy. For most systems, that will require new skills and competencies that do not