News in brief - May 3, 2004

Insurance issues force physician to send pain patients to new clinic - Illinois OBs re-evaluate practices in light of liability climate - Minnesota board greets new members

Insurance issues force physician to send pain patients to new clinic

The Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., MD, who was in danger of losing his medical liability coverage due to issues related to his treatment of pain patients at his Tupelo, Miss., clinic, says the Medical Assurance Co. of Mississippi has agreed to continue to cover his four Delta-area offices, but only three months at a time and at a cost of $2,000 for each three months.

To avoid further problems, Dr. Myers is directing chronic pain patients at his Tchula, Belzoni, Greenville and Indianola clinics to see him at his office in upstate Tupelo after he pays for a $16,000 policy from the Mississippi Tort Claims Board to cover him there.

The Tupelo office is about 180 miles north of his other offices, and Dr. Myers said he is working to arrange bus or van transportation for his patients who will need to be treated there.

Illinois OBs re-evaluate practices in light of liability climate

In the last two years, 11% of Illinois obstetrician-gynecologists gave up obstetrics because of liability concerns, says a study by the Chicago-based OB/GYN Crisis Coalition and the Illinois section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Some 99% of those Illinois ob-gyns surveyed say increasing insurance costs are the single biggest concern facing the profession, and 89% would not recommend to new doctors that they practice in the state.

And ob-gyns said insurance costs would impact their practices in the years to come, with 56% saying they were considering giving up obstetrics in the next two years and 19% saying they were extremely likely to stop practicing obstetrics.

The margin of error in the study was plus or minus 4.47%, with a 95% confidence level.

Minnesota board greets new members

The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice has two new physician members, Bradley S. Johnson, MD, of Avon, Minn., and Ernest W. Lampe II, MD, of Mankato, Minn. Both were appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Dr. Johnson has practiced medicine in Minnesota for 18 years. He is a family physician and works as a principal at Partners Healthcare Consulting Inc. in St. Louis Park. He was appointed to the board seat for a medical doctor from the sixth congressional district. He will serve a four-year term ending Jan. 7, 2008, and fills the board seat formerly held by Scott Tongen, MD.

Dr. Lampe has practiced medicine in Minnesota for 34 years. He is a general surgeon and practices at the Mankato Clinic in Mankato. He is a clinical assistant professor in the Dept. of Surgery at the University of Minnesota. He was appointed to the board seat for an at-large medical doctor. He will serve a four-year term ending Jan. 7, 2008, and fills the board seat formerly held by Gail Bender, MD.

The governor reappointed to the board Rebecca J. Hafner, MD, of Avon, a family physician.