David versus Goliath. One Doctor’s Quest for Justice.
Physicians regularly renew their medical licenses. A typical question on the application reads: Since you last renewed have you become aware of any medical condition that impairs or limits, or could possibly impair or limit, your ability to practice medicine safely? (If you are an … Read more

Avoiding Liability When Sending Specimens
Doesn’t happen often. But, when it does, expect a potential s*%#storm. Patient is anxious about the mole on his back. A dermatologist removes the mole and sends the specimen to the lab. Rule in or rule out melanoma. The lab says it never received the … Read more





Why Not Bring The Entire Staff Into the Exam Room for My Prostate Exam?
I live in North Carolina. Each year I have a general physical exam. This includes the ritual known as the prostate exam. I don’t particularly look forward to it. But, it takes a few seconds and I’m reassured knowing that there are no lumps or … Read more





Which Workplace Bathroom to Use?
The question is not so simple anymore. According to the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, there are approximately 700,000 transgender individuals in the United States. In a recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling (Lusardi v. McHugh, EEOC, No. 0120133395, 4/1/15), the US government ruled … Read more





Those Pesky Signatures
How many of us has received the dreaded notice that medical records are not complete; or worse, that records are complete but need to be signed. The absence of a “proper” signature gums up the works for getting paid. This following is what CMS considers … Read more





A Good Samaritan Saves the Day
We’ve heard plenty of horror stories where someone tried to do the right thing – and got screwed. Everyone knows the saying, “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.” Still, my faith in humanity was renewed on January 10th.





What Can Happen When Patient Consent Is Fuzzy? A Bizarre Odyssey…
Dr. Philip Taylor was employed by Spectrum Health Primary Care Partners. He practiced as an ob-gyn. His employment agreement with Spectrum defined how they could terminate the relationship. Summary Termination. If your employment … is terminated by its Board of Directors [the “Board”] for a … Read more





Is Pimping Really Abusive?
Yesterday, I read two articles in JAMA on pimping. (Yes, I still get JAMA.) The article suggested that pimping medical students and residents may be “old school.” Used inappropriately, it may serve more as a tool off abuse and humiliation as opposed to a pedagogical … Read more





Easy New Year’s Resolutions for Cybersecurity.
Some say there are two types of online sites. Those that know they have been hacked. And those that have been hacked, but don’t know it. Sobering. Everyone is busy. The important question is what can be done to mitigate the downside of sites being … Read more





Sometimes You Need a Good Laugh
We often write about serious topics. Not today. I want to give a shout out to a site called Gomerblog. GOMER is medical slang for a patient in the emergency room who is not in need of emergency services. For those of … Read more





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