Physicians are territorial with honorifics. A patient hears “Dr. Smith” and silently fills in the rest—medical school, residency, board certification. That assumption sits at the center of a fresh federal ruling in California. On September 19, 2025, a federal judge in the Central District of California upheld the state’s long-standing restriction on using “doctor”/“Dr.” in … Read more
The following request occasionally pops up. “You took care of my wife. She recently passed away. Can I have a copy of her records?” HIPAA survives death. For 50 years. The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the individually identifiable health information about a decedent for 50 years following the date of death of the individual. This … Read more
The Guardian reported on a British healthcare provider who left an operation to quickly have sex. The newspaper named the randy provider as Dr. Suhail Anjum, a “consultant anesthetist.” Dr. Suhail Anjum, 44, and the unnamed nurse were caught in a “compromising position” by a colleague who walked in on the pair at Tameside hospital. … Read more
On January 27, 2026, a joint communication from the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia alerted its members. Recent communications from South American anesthesia societies describe healthy adult and pediatric patients of Venezuelan ancestry who have had unexpected catastrophic outcomes, including severe neurologic damage with basal ganglia infarcts and death, after … Read more
Dr. David Diffine, an Arkansas family physician, was also known as “Dr. Naturist.” In January 2024, the Arkansas State Medical Board received a complaint regarding his “naturist activities”—namely, photo posts of himself nude on social media. The board took no immediate action, choosing instead to preserve the documentation on file. 2025 – License Revocation What … Read more
Not all relationships are meant to last forever. If you terminate a doctor-patient relationship, you shouldn’t do so in the middle of a treatment plan. And generally, you are required to continue care for 30 days or until the patient finds another provider, whichever comes first. And you should make records available to the new doctor. And provide general information on how to find a new doctor … Read more
Part of learning to be a doctor is delivering news. Sometimes, the news is bad. I don’t recall receiving any training in delivering bad news when I was a medical student, a resident, or fellow. Some physicians have better innate skills in such conversations. Some outsource the conversation to others. As Maya Angelou once said,“I’ve … Read more
Professional liability suits are about collecting money. At least that is a main goal. Money from the doctor’s insurance carrier. Or if the verdict is over policy limits, or if you are not covered, then money from the doctor’s personal assets. If the doctor “has no money” then this process might be an exercise in futility. Bankruptcy is the process of discharging debts. … Read more
Most physicians know the requirements that must be met when terminating the doctor-patient relationship. The requirements must be satisfied to avoid a charge of abandonment with a medical board. You must give the patient sufficient time to find another doctor. The language often reads as “we remain available to treat you for urgent or emergent conditions related to our … Read more
Non-compete agreements work for the employer. They don’t really make the employee’s life easier. I understand the rationale. The employer invests heavily in a new recruit. This individual will be a loss-leader for a while. The employer built the practice. The employer believes he built the employee’s practice. And showed the employee all the tricks needed to be successful. It would be maddening for this employee to leave after 9 … Read more
