The Doctor’s Advocate | First Quarter 2017
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Industry and Company News

New Chief Operating Officer Appointed

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Bill Fleming as chief operating officer. He will report directly to the chairman and chief executive officer, Richard E. Anderson, MD.

Mr. Fleming replaces Rob Francis, who is leaving the company. Mr. Francis has served The Doctors Company and its members extremely well over the past 12 years and was a significant contributor to the company’s success. We expect he will continue to be an important leader in the healthcare industry.

Bill Fleming is a 24-year veteran of The Doctors Company and had been senior vice president and regional operating officer for the Northeast. Previously, he served in a number of capacities, including claims, underwriting, product development, and as integration leader for AP Capital, Advocate MD, and Intermed as they joined The Doctors Company.

“In his long tenure here, Bill has been a strong champion of our mission to advance, protect, and reward the practice of good medicine,” Dr. Anderson said. “He is ideally suited for this role. We are confident he will be a proactive, trusted, and visionary leader for our nearly 80,000 members and for the many healthcare systems, hospitals, and managed care organizations that we serve.”

“I am excited and honored to take on this new role at The Doctors Company,” Mr. Fleming said. “I look forward to partnering with my colleagues and our agents and brokers nationwide to deliver on our mission. Our healthcare system has entered a period of profound change. We believe that providing a sustainable, national platform for advocacy on behalf of the medical profession and the pursuit of our mission are more important than ever.”

Mr. Fleming holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and both the RPLU and AIS designations. He is active in numerous trade groups, including the PIAA and the Professional Liability Underwriting Society, and he sits on the Advisory Board for the Actuarial Science program at Michigan State University.

Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society Endorsement

As part of our strong commitment to ob/gyns in Georgia, we have partnered with the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (GOGS) to provide eligible GOGS members with an exclusive medical malpractice insurance program. Through the endorsement, eligible GOGS members can receive a 35 percent program discount, a 10 percent patient safety discount, and up to a 25 percent claims-free discount on The Doctors Company coverage.

“We’re very pleased to partner with the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society,” said Bob White, senior vice president and regional operating officer at The Doctors Company. “Through this program, our innovative patient safety resources and unmatched coverage will help Georgia ob/gyns protect their practice and their patients.”

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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 healthcare provider considering the circumstances of 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.

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