| The Doctor’s Advocate | First Quarter 2004 |
Industry and Company News
Charles O’Brien Retires
Charles A. O’Brien, Esq., a founder of The Doctors Company, announced his retirement at a recent meeting of the Board of Governors.
Mr. O’Brien has been chief counsel, secretary and treasurer, and a member of The Doctors Company’s Board of Governors since 1976.
After more than 10 years in public service as California’s Chief Deputy Attorney General, Mr. O’Brien became legal counsel to the California Physicians Crisis Committee, a group formed in response to the insurance crisis of 1975. He was a principal author of the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA). Mr. O’Brien worked tirelessly to ensure the passage of that landmark legislation, which has since become the national model for effective and durable tort reform.
For his many contributions, physicians everywhere and the people of California are indebted to Charles O’Brien.
Do You Need Proof of Insurance or a Claims History?
Our Web site gives you 24-hour access and the flexibility to view, print, e-mail, or fax your Certificate of Insurance and credentialing reports.
You’ll find everything you need to get started at www.thedoctors.com. Visit our Member Area for details. Once you’ve registered, you’ll have immediate access to all of the secure features and services we offer.
Take Advantage of All of Our Online Member Services
In addition to Certificates of Insurance and credentialing reports, your User ID and password give you secure access to all of our Members Only features, including:
Risk Management Strategies—Our library of timely articles can help you reduce your risk exposure. You can view or print them on our Web site; as an added feature, our Members Only area allows you to share them by fax or e-mail.
Legislative Action Center —Our complimentary service makes it easy to learn more about medical-legal reform activity and helps you get your voice heard.
Sign up to receive The Doctors Company publications by e-mail, and create a personal archive of relevant links for easy access.
Look for Our Annual Report Online
Our 2003 Annual Report will soon be available online. The report affirms our commitment to protecting the practice of good medicine and outlines the year’s achievements and financial highlights. The report also features a message from our chairman and CEO, Richard Anderson, M.D., F.A.C.P., on the state of medical liability reform. You’ll be able to view or print individual sections or the entire report—from the convenience of your home or office.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published by The Doctors Company to advise and inform its members about loss prevention and insurance issues.
The guidelines suggested in this newsletter are not rules, do not constitute legal advice, and do not ensure a successful outcome. They attempt to define principles of practice for providing appropriate care. The principles are not inclusive of all proper methods of care nor exclusive of other methods reasonably directed at obtaining the same results.
The ultimate decision regarding the appropriateness of any treatment must be made by each health care provider in light of all circumstances prevailing in the individual situation and in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the care is rendered.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published quarterly by Corporate Communications, The Doctors Company. Letters and articles, to be edited and published at the editor’s discretion, are welcome. The views expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of The Doctors Company. Please sign your letters, and address them to the editor.