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Category: Malpractice
Using inquiry-based stress reduction to treat medical malpractice stress syndrome
“Your worst enemy cannot hurt you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.” – The Buddha. On her 44th birthday, Dr. Maya Williams took in all she had accomplished: her recent partnership in her radiology practice, two beautiful middle-…
Malpractice may be negative, but its data can generate positive results
When most health care professionals hear the word “malpractice,” they want to run the other way. This is understandable—but also a missed opportunity. We can leverage malpractice data to target and drive investment in patient safety efforts. Malpractic…
Why a nurse should not go to jail
I recently wrote a letter to the Davidson County, TN judge who will sentence RaDonda Vaught, a former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse convicted on two felony counts in the 2017 death of a patient. RaDonda faces up to 12 years in prison for h…
An example of medical-legal consulting
Medical-legal consulting is a great way to use your medical training in a non-clinical field that helps people. Physicians all over the country are now doing medical-legal consulting as a rewarding part-time gig. One service out of many we provide is t…
Recognizing and addressing medical malpractice stress syndrome (MMSS)
Every claims executive handling medical malpractice claims has seen it. So has every lawyer who defends physicians in med mal cases. They know how destructive this phenomenon can be to the defendant and their case, just as hospital administrators know …
Who will heal the physician? [PODCAST]
“Medical errors exist at the far end of a continuum of unexpected events in clinical practice and they are devastating for all involved. Even when care is attentive and patient compliance perfect, unexpected outcomes occur in medicine. Unanticipa…
Understanding your medical malpractice insurance policy [PODCAST]
“Arguably one of the most overlooked yet incredibly important aspects of your malpractice insurance policy is the Consent to Settle Provision. You’re paying thousands of dollars a year for your malpractice insurance; you should have a say in how …
The criminalization of true medical errors is a step backwards for patient safety
On December 27, 2017, as the result of a medication error, 75-year-old Charlene Murphey died tragically at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The nurse who administered the medication, RaDonda Vaught, was criminally convicted for the mis…
Malpractice: an officer of the court
Tony (not his real name) was one of those patients who came to be a friend. I was his doctor for 11 years, guiding him through some very difficult times with a chronic autoimmune disease. He was a handyman, a fly fisherman, a husband, a father and a ma…
