Model Medical Staff Bylaws

The draft of the Model Medical Staff Bylaws was prepared by Stacy Harper and Donn Herring of the law firm Lathrop and Gage L.L.C.  The firm has a regional health law practice representing a variety of health related clients, both professional and institutional, including many hospitals of various sizes in both urban and rural settings.

Many changes in health care law and regulations in the last few years require a hospital’s medical staff bylaws to be a dynamic document.  The medical staff bylaws should be reviewed periodically to insure its provisions are up to date.  The Model Medical Staff Bylaws provide an opportunity for hospitals to insure their own medical staff bylaws serve the best interests of the hospital, the medical staff and patients.

The Model Medical Staff Bylaws is designed to be a resource and a guide. The presentation of the bylaws does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Although development of medical staff bylaws in a hospital should be a process involving an interdisciplinary group or committee of the hospital and hospital medical staff, the hospital’s legal counsel should be an integral part of the process. Hospital medical staff bylaws involve many legal concepts. Consultation with legal counsel experienced in hospital medical staff bylaw drafting is critical.