News in brief - June 16, 2003

N.Y. physicians rally for tort reform - More OxyContin lawsuits dismissed - One-quarter of residents regret choosing medicine - New medical school set for Ontario - Award to recognize end-of-life care

N.Y. physicians rally for tort reform

Thousands of physicians gathered at 21 sites throughout New York May 20 to "Stand Up" against soaring medical liability insurance rates and to urge lawmakers to pass tort reform with a cap on noneconomic damages.

New York is one of the 18 states the American Medical Association says is experiencing a medical liability crisis because physicians are retiring early, moving out of state or discontinuing high risk procedures.

More OxyContin lawsuits dismissed

Another six lawsuits -- two seeking class-action status -- against the makers of OxyContin have been tossed out of federal and state courts, bringing the total of dismissed cases to 29. The lawsuits claimed that Purdue Pharma L.P., the Connecticut-based company that distributes the drug, put an unsafe or defective drug on the market, improperly marketed it and caused people to become addicted to the drug or even die from it.

One-quarter of residents regret choosing medicine

About 24% of medical residents in their final year of training said they'd choose a different career if they had it to do all over again, according to a 2002 survey by Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, a consulting and physician search firm.

In a survey a year earlier, only 5% of finishing residents reported having such serious second thoughts. The firm contacted 4,870 residents, 325 responded. Of those, 60% said liability costs were a significant concern, compared with 15% in 2001. Some 60% were concerned about managed care and payment issues, up from 25% in the previous year.

New medical school set for Ontario

Canada has announced plans to build its first new medical school in 35 years. The school will be located in northern Ontario, with the province government pledging $68 million for the project.

The region has a chronic shortage of physicians, and the school is expected to help alleviate this problem. The first class is expected to begin in the fall of 2004 or 2005.

The Northern Ontario Medical School will eventually have an enrollment of 224 students. The students will be split between two campuses, one in Thunder Bay and the other in Sudbury, and there will be other teaching and research sites in northern Ontario.

Award to recognize end-of-life care

Applications are being accepted for the 2004 American Hospital Assn. Circle of Life Award: Celebrating Innovation in End-of-Life Care.

The award honors innovative programs to improve end-of-life care for patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Up to three winners will receive $25,000 each to further their programs' work.

Applications are available online (www.aha.org/circleoflife) or from (312) 422-2700. Deadline is Aug. 15.

The award is co-sponsored by the AMA, American Assn. of Homes and Services for the Aging, and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. It is supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.