It’s been said the only thing certain in life is death and taxes. Tax rates vary by state. And, what may come as a surprise to many doctors, the definition of death (or how someone is declared dead) is not uniform across all 50 states. A little background. For centuries, death was straightforward. It was … Read more
While the issue has been fluid, as of the date this post was penned, the Icelandic parliament was considering a bill to outlaw male circumcision for nonmedical reasons. The bill, introduced […] by four political parties, uses the same wording as a 2005 Icelandic law banning female genital mutilation, changing the word “girls” to “children,” Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir of the centrist Progressive … Read more
The number of medico-legal landmines associated with running a practice is huge. Our cup runneth over. And most physicians are at least aware of these debacles. What most practices are blissfully unaware of: brouhahas caused by employees. A number of years ago I listened to an engaging talk by the head of Ritz Carlton. He … Read more
In May, the FDA issued a report called: Unintentional Injection of Soft Tissue Filler into Blood Vessels in the Face: FDA Safety Communication. For our general audience, fillers are approved to reduce the appearance of wrinkles or augment hollowed-out areas, such as lips or cheeks. When injected by trained and experienced practitioners, the safety record is … Read more
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to stay out of harm’s way. While I do not necessarily … Read more
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to stay out of harm’s way. While I do not necessarily … Read more
Anthem rolled out a new policy holding patients directly responsible for the ER bill if it is later deemed non-emergent. And who will decide whether the visit was emergent or not? You guessed right. Anthem’s policy is in place in Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri. Next up is Indiana. Anthem just sent notice to enrollees in … Read more
Perhaps the headline should read “Iowa Board of Medicine Makes Making Love an Actionable Offense.” Boards of Medicine generally take action if a physician inappropriately propositions a patient for sex. Some boundary issues are obvious. If a psychiatrist is in the middle of an active treatment plan with a patient, it is unlikely a sexual relationship between the two will … Read more
If you practice in an operating room, sooner or later you will get stuck with a needle. We all try to follow best practices. But, when you have sharp tools, on occasion, the unfortunate does happen. Last year, an ophthalmologist in Oregon relayed this tale. He had used a syringe and needle to aspirate and … Read more
Doctors occasionally change their name. They get married. They get divorced. Some keep their name. Some change their name. It happens all the time. But, that is a deliberate choice. Are there times doctors might want to change their name – against their will? Huh? Not too long ago, a dentist went to Africa as … Read more
