Retiring Member Physicians Receive $1 Million in Tribute® Plan Rewards
We are pleased to announce that, as of November 30, 2009, The Doctors Company has paid over $1 million in Tribute rewards to retiring member physicians.
“Only The Doctors Company honors a lifetime of member service with a significant financial award,” said Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, chairman and CEO. “This unprecedented payment to our members is another example of our commitment to them and a demonstration of our belief that when we work together to promote the practice of good medicine, we all win.”
To date, we’ve distributed career rewards to 580 retiring members. For your individual balance, visit www.thedoctors.com and click the Tribute Plan link. You will need to sign in by entering your user ID and password, or you can sign up if you have not yet registered. You can also access our iTribute Plan Calculator or download our iPhone application.
Responding to Haiti Relief Efforts
The Doctors Company has provided financial support to Doctors Without Borders for aiding earthquake victims. Doctors Without Borders is working to provide both emergency medical care and to avert a catastrophic outbreak of communicable diseases in the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake.
Update on Our Recent Florida Physician Advisory Board
The Florida Physician Advisory Board recently met in Fort Lauderdale. Our panel members presented three cases selected to match their specialties. In one of the cases, panel members provided valuable insight by emphasizing the need to closely examine respiratory monitoring after surgery and to consider an entirely different explanation for the patient’s demise.
Following each presentation, Karen Meehan, our patient safety/risk management account executive, led the discussion by highlighting lessons that could be learned from each situation. One of the cases illustrated the difficulties encountered by not considering alternative diagnoses, and another case emphasized the importance of communication among the primary care physician, the anesthesiologist, and the surgeon when “clearing” a patient for surgery.
We asked participants to step into the shoes of a jury and predict the outcomes for the major defendants in the three cases. We told them only that one physician had won at trial and another physician had settled before trial, and one trial had resulted in a large judgment against the physician. Panel members’ answers varied widely—which illustrates that many variables affect the outcome of a claim.
PLICA Operations Suspension
On October 22, 2009, the Illinois Department of Insurance suspended the operations of Professional Liability Insurance Company of America (PLICA), a New York–domiciled medical liability insurer that writes business in Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, and Texas.
The suspension was stayed through a temporary restraining order. We will update you as information becomes available.
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.