Healthcare Reform

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 10^th.

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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 serious, intentional violation of the standards of patient care (i.e., serious quality and/or safety breaches), or unethical behavior, you will automatically be deemed to have voluntarily resigned or otherwise terminated your clinical privileges or medical staff membership at any Spectrum-owned hospital facility. Termination under these circumstances will be taken only after thorough investigation and review of facts by [the Board] which includes the President of [defendant] and CEO of Spectrum. Any termination described immediately above will be referred to in this Agreement as a “Summary Termination,” and will trigger automatic resignation of Medical Staff privileges. . . .

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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 art.

Duh.

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An old joke says that the best way to keep a secret is to tell it to only one person, and that person should be dead.

All kidding aside, the greater the number of people who handle information, the more likely that confidentiality will be breached. That’s why physicians take histories and examine patients behind closed doors, in addition to employing numerous measures to safeguard their medical records.

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Most parents have uttered the phrase “Because I Said So”. You know precisely what it means. You know why you said it. And, on occasion, your offspring will also know what it means.

In the medico-legal domain, experts are generally needed to make the case to the jury. They need to explain why the defendant doctor violated the standard of care; and how that violation caused damages. Many times, that opinion is supported by years of experience, the medical literature, and more. But, sometimes, the expert’s opinion propelling a meritless case boils down to ““Because I Said So”.

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