Dr. Hassan A. Saad is an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Michigan. This physician shares the same first and last name as another physician, who worked in the same city. This other Dr. Hassan has a different middle initial. His middle initial is “T” and opposed to our protagonist, whose middle initial is “I”. What a … Read more
We live in a world of deadlines. When I was growing up, I learned the maxim, “Failure to properly plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” Sound familiar? The excuse “the dog ate my homework” did not work in my childhood home. If you practice medicine (or any licensed profession … Read more
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, take note that there are very effective medications used to treat obesity and type II diabetes. They include products with glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) activity. The two dominant players in the industry are Novo Nordisk and Lilly. Novo Nordisk distributes semaglutide: Ozempic for Type … Read more
The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is a federal repository of information detailing specific actions against healthcare providers. It includes settlements and judgments paid by an insurance carrier in your name (you being the defendant). It includes disciplinary actions by state licensing boards, including public letters of reprimand, probation, suspension, and revocations. It includes adverse … Read more
One Medical Justice member recently wrote about a patient pulling out their phone in the middle of a consultation. Then they started recording. This physician works in New York. The practice was reasonably concerned the patient might use this recording for less than honorable purposes. They asked for guidance. New York is a one-party recording … Read more
Gilead is a biotechnology company that develops and distributes HIV treatments. Its compounds have saved and extended countless lives. Gilead is being sued in California by HIV patients for not timely developing a new drug. Some background. Gilead manufactured and marketed its HIV/AIDS drug, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) since 2001. Gilead was working on “a … Read more
Doctors fight tooth and nail to avoid being reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). With good reason. If you want to apply for a new job, a new medical license, new hospital privileges, new network status with insurance carriers, or new coverage with a professional liability carrier, a stain on your otherwise clean … Read more
We have a federal system, where states make their own rules regarding the practice of medicine. One criticism is that doctors can be disciplined in one state, move, then get a fresh start in another. The National Practitioner Data bank was designed to serve as a repository of information to make it harder for such … Read more
The peer review process can get heated. As can hospital banter. An Arizona appellate court case highlighted the protections inherent in peer review, as well as the steep climb to prevailing in a defamation lawsuit. The allegation. Dr. G, the chair of cardiology, made damaging false statements when he told another cardiologist that Dr. S … Read more
Being a patient is sometimes stressful. Sometimes, that stress manifests as “bad behavior.” Raising one’s voice at office staff. Sending a nasty email. A sarcastic remark. If it’s an isolated event – a one-off – most practices just shrug it off. Anyone can have a bad day. If one bad day is now many bad … Read more
