News in brief - Dec. 20, 2004

$30 million verdict reinstated by Ohio judge - Mass. medical association to produce TV show - La. physician named country doctor of the year - Match expands its resident representation - JCAHO chief touts pay for performance

$30 million verdict reinstated by Ohio judge

An Ohio judge in November reinstated a $30 million medical malpractice verdict that another judge had thrown out in calling for a new trial. The award was believed to be the highest in the state's history.

Trial court judge Robert M. Lawther originally said the award in a birth injury case involving 17-year-old Walter Hollins was excessive and that the verdict was given "under the influence of passion and prejudice." He also said the plaintiff's attorney used theatrical tactics throughout the trial that helped him win "a clearly unjustified verdict."

In a three-page opinion issued Nov. 19, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lillian J. Greene disagreed. She said a new trial was not warranted in the case because the jury -- picked by both sides -- heard the evidence and came to their conclusion.

"The mere fact that the court's opinion differs from that of the jury does not warrant setting aside a verdict," Greene wrote. "Substantial evidence was presented by the plaintiff to support the jury verdict as contrasted with little evidence to support an opposite verdict award."

Greene also said that plaintiff attorney Geoffrey Fieger did nothing egregious that would justify a new trial. "Counsel has great latitude in presenting a closing argument within permissible bounds," Greene said.

Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Ronald Jordan, MD, and Northeast Ohio Neighborhood Health Services are appealing Greene's decision to the 8th Appellate District of the Ohio Court of Appeals.

Mass. medical association to produce TV show

The Massachusetts Medical Society is producing a public access TV talk show that discusses health and medical issues in a conversational format.

In conjunction with Hopkinton Community Access & Media, the MMS will create a monthly, 30-minute commercial-free program called "Physician Focus with the Massachusetts Medical Society." Hosted by practicing internist Bruce Karlin, MD, the show will feature a single physician focusing on one topic for the duration of the show. Shows in production include health literacy, end-of-life care, diabetes, osteoporosis, emergency care and hearing loss.

The program is the latest effort in a public information campaign conducted by the MMS since August 2003 that includes print, radio and the Internet. So far, 17 stations have expressed interest in airing the program.

La. physician named country doctor of the year

Kenneth Paul Mauterer Jr., MD, has been named Country Doctor of the Year for 2004 by Staff Care, a Texas-based locum tenens staffing firm. He was selected from 166 nominees for the award, which honors the dedication of America's rural doctors.

Dr. Mauterer has practiced in Louisiana for 29 years, serving the communities of Olla, Urania and Tullos. According to Staff Care, Dr. Mauterer shows his commitment to the community by remaining on call whenever needed and even accepts fresh fish and produce for his services. The committee that picked Dr. Mauterer cited extraordinary dedication throughout his career as the deciding factor in his selection.

Match expands its resident representation

Medical residents and residency program directors will have direct input at the National Resident Matching Program for the first time now that the NRMP board voted to add representatives of the two groups to the board. NRMP directors voted to expand the board to include two resident program directors and three residents, with one resident also being an international medical graduate. Total board membership will now be 19.

The NRMP board currently includes two representatives each from the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Hospital Assn., The American Medical Association, The Assn. of American Medical Colleges and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. It also includes one representative each from the Consortium of Medical Student Organizations, The American Medical Student Assn., the AAMC's Organization of Student Representatives and the AMA's Medical Student Section.

JCAHO chief touts pay for performance

Stating that "the world goes to the tenacious," Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations President Dennis O'Leary, MD, opened JCAHO's "Decisions That Count" national conference on quality and patient safety, held Dec 1-3 in Chicago, by stating that the health care community needs to create a culture of staff retention, encourage reporting of errors, engage patients and their communities, invest in education and training and work to get patient safety legislation passed.

Dr. O'Leary also noted his support for pay-for-performance systems, and said reforming Medicare reimbursements will set the pace for quality improvement.

"When we pay the same for good care as we do lousy care, it sends a message," he said. "We need to pay the people who are doing well and invest in the people who are doing not as well."

Dr. O'Leary also reminded attendees what is the most important. "Don't lose sight of the patient," he said.