http://www.naplesnews.com A state-by-state examination of medical malpractice claims paid in 2006 shows that Florida’s average payout was lower than the national average, resurrecting the debate about the merits and pitfalls of tort reform that is expected to change the malpractice climate in the state. As in the past, trial attorneys, the medical community and the […]

By JO CIAVAGLIA Bucks County Courier Times http://www.phillyburbs.com In the Philadelphia region, more hospitals are closing obstetric units and fewer OB-GYN doctors are practicing at a time when more low-birth-weight babies are being born and fewer expectant mothers are starting early prenatal care. Those are among the key findings in a new report that foresees […]

http://www.santafenewmexican.com By ASSOCIATED PRESS Statistics indicate New Mexico has fewer health care providers than the national average, suggesting patients wait longer to see physicians and have less access than residents of other states. “For what people are paying, they expect a little better on the service side,” Daniel Derksen, a family practice physician at the […]

By JIM PROVANCE BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU http://toledoblade.com Using northwest Ohio as its laboratory, state lawmakers have proposed a huge task force to figure out what Ohio can do to keep medical school graduates from fleeing the state for greener residency programs and homes elsewhere. “If you look at the workforce of the state, particularly northwest […]

Christopher Rizo – AHN Staff Writer http://www.allheadlinenews.com The Oregon state Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Wednesday to improve a program to keep the skyrocketing cost of malpractice insurance from driving doctors from small towns. With a 29-1 vote, lawmakers agreed that a 2003 law intended to lure more doctors to rural parts of Oregon needed to […]

The Associated Press http://www.joplinglobe.com An Oklahoma surgeon said Thursday he will not treat legislators who voted against a bill to curb malpractice insurance rates and suggested they go to Texas for surgical procedures. Unless it is an emergency, Dr. Peter S. Hedberg said he will “never again accept anyone as a patient who has voted […]

By LAURENT L.N. BONCZIJK For the News-Register http://www.newsregister.com/ One of Dr. Klaus Martin’s main missions, as the new president of the Oregon Medical Association, will be to work toward overhaul of the way costs are covering in the American health care system. Martin, a family-practice physician based in McMinnville, said the workings of both the […]

Claim is latest in 5-year campaign over malpractice lawsuits DAVID RANII (Raleigh) News & Observer http://www.charlotte.com Trial lawyers say the state’s largest medical malpractice insurer is unlawfully charging doctors “excessive” rates. At a Tuesday news conference, the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers called on state Insurance Commissioner Jim Long to conduct a hearing into rates […]

Written By: James Rottet Health Care News Home Retail health clinics are becoming increasingly popular nationwide, and the movement got a boost in Texas on February 15 when Baylor Health Care System and MedBasics announced a formal collaboration. Under the agreement, Baylor physicians will provide medical oversight for certified nurse practitioners (NPs) working at MedBasics […]