May 13, 2019 by matray

Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers (PRI) announced the creation of its PRI Physicians’ Club, which will provide a unique opportunity for doctors within the New York area.

The creation of the Physicians’ Club is one way that PRI supports doctors in the New York area. The concept behind the club is to create a regular forum where physicians can talk and socialize in a relaxed environment. The meetings will provide a unique opportunity for doctors to exchange ideas, build relationships and support each other. According to PRI, there is much joy and satisfaction that can be found within the practice of medicine, which is sometimes lost in the stress of daily practice. The club is a place to relax and an opportunity to share experiences with other physicians.

Membership in the PRI Physicians’ Club is free, and the club is open to all New York physicians, both PRI insureds and non-PRI insureds. The first meeting will include a discussion on work-life balance.

The health and well-being of both PRI’s clients and physicians across the country are important to the long-term success of the healthcare industry as a whole, as well as the people they provide services to.

The first meeting of the PRI Physicians’ Club will take place on Friday, May 31st from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at PRI’s Roslyn headquarters, 1800 Northern Boulevard, Roslyn NY. This event is free of charge; wine and cheese will be served. Registration for this event is required; RSVP can be completed via this Registration Link.

May 13, 2019 by matray

Curi, previously Medical Mutual Insurance Company of North Carolina, today announced the appointment of Sean Farrelly as its new senior vice president of underwriting. In this role, Farrelly will lead Curi's underwriting operations nationwide, with a focus on evolving the company's offerings in medical professional liability insurance, alternative risk and other solutions.

Farrelly joins Curi from PartnerRe, a global reinsurer, where he served as the portfolio manager for U.S. medical professional liability reinsurance. Additionally, he handled a diverse portfolio of casualty reinsurance business as a member of the broader U.S. Casualty team. Prior to his time at PartnerRe, Farrelly also held underwriting leadership roles at Odyssey Re, another leading reinsurer. Both reinsurers are longtime partners of Curi, formerly Medical Mutual.

"Sean's arrival is the latest affirmation of our commitment to innovating in the medical professional liability space—particularly as we continue to grow and evolve our alternative risk offering to meet the needs of today's physicians and medical practices," said Jason Sandner, Curi's chief financial officer. "With his macro-level view of the market as a whole, Sean will bring broad thinking to our underwriting approach and initiatives."

Farrelly has spent his entire career in underwriting roles and has demonstrated an ability to drive disciplined growth. With Curi's insurance offerings now available in 46 states and the District of Columbia, the company has many opportunities for strategic growth beyond its traditional concentrations of customers in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Beyond its geographic reach, Curi is uniquely positioned to help physicians and practices solve for an array of risk-sharing alternatives.

"I have followed Curi's growth and mission-driven work as a reinsurance partner for many years and am honored to now be part of this team," said Farrelly. "The dynamics of today's medical professional liability space will require much thoughtful attention in the years to come, and I look forward to helping the Curi team develop the best offerings and solutions for physicians and practice leaders, while maintaining the integrity of our underwriting approach."

May 10, 2019 by matray

The Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) today announced that CAP Physicians Insurance Agency, Inc. (CAP Agency), a wholly owned subsidiary of CAP, has been appointed to The Hanover Insurance Group’s President’s Club, which recognizes elite independent insurance agencies from across the country. Agencies named to the company’s President’s Club are recognized for delivering outstanding value to their customers through insurance expertise and responsive service.

“This is recognition of the value we place on providing specialized and innovative insurance solutions that meet the unique needs of our physician members,” says CAP Agency president and CEO Deidri Hoppe. “Being selected for the Hanover Insurance Group’s President’s Club is proof that we’re creating true value for our members and delivering the sort of outstanding service on which CAP prides itself.”

CAP Agency was formally recognized for its inclusion in the company’s President’s Club at a national business conference in Bluffton, S.C., and is one of only 120 independent agencies recognized with the distinction.

CAP members receive access to CAP Agency, which serves as a dedicated insurance agency offering free advice and consulting on a wide range of insurance products beyond medical malpractice coverage, including life insurance, group disability and cyber risk protection. CAP Agency provides members with competitively priced insurance products for purchase from carriers rated “A” (Excellent) or better by A.M. Best, all through one source.

May 9, 2019 by matray

Hub International Limited (Hub) has acquired the assets of RIMS Insurance Brokerage Corp. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Located in Providence, R.I., RIMS Insurance Brokerage Corp., has offered medical professional liability insurance as well as life, health, disability, worker’s compensation, business owner’s insurance and other coverages since 1988. Its focus on the healthcare industry supports Hub’s Specialty practices by complementing and strengthening Hub’s existing capabilities.

Robert Anderson, president of RIMS Insurance Brokerage Corp., will join Hub New England and will report to Daniel Nissi, president, Healthcare Specialty Practice, Hub New England.

“We are thrilled to have Bob of RIMS Insurance Brokerage Corporation join the Hub Healthcare team, and expand our expertise and services to medical practices and healthcare facilities in Rhode Island,” said Shawn McLaughlin, Hub’s national healthcare specialty practice leader.

May 7, 2019 by matray

The Doctors Company and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), a top-ranked health system and medical school, today launched a new partnership at the intersection of digital medicine and patient safety. The Doctors Company’s commitment to advancing the practice of good medicine will be expanded through a $1 million collaboration that will enable leading UCSF researchers in evidence-based patient safety practices, safety and information technology–related policy, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) to pursue cutting-edge questions.

Widespread digitization of the healthcare system over the past decade — including electronic health records (EHRs), apps and sensors — offers new ways to study and address traditional patient safety challenges such as diagnostic and medication errors. There also are new challenges that stem directly from these emerging digital capabilities, including how to integrate AI tools into front-line care, mitigate alert fatigue, share data with patients, preserve the physician-patient relationship with increasing use of technology in the exam room and asynchronous communication tools, avoid physician burnout related to suboptimal EHR usability and performance and ensure cybersecurity.

The Doctors Company–UCSF collaboration will maximize the strengths of both organizations to make substantive advances in patient safety and digital health through novel research and engagement — with the goal of safer care. According to Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, chairman and chief executive officer of The Doctors Company, ”We are proud to partner with a world-class institution like UCSF in a mission-based collaboration that has the power to improve medical outcomes in the transformative sphere of digital healthcare.”

The UCSF team is led by two accomplished researchers — Julia Adler-Milstein, PhD, associate professor of medicine, and Urmimala Sarkar, MD, associate professor of medicine — who bring complementary expertise to the partnership.

“The primary goal of the partnership is to discover and disseminate new insights into risk mitigation strategies and patient safety by connecting top-tier UCSF researchers and unique resources and expertise from The Doctors Company,” Adler-Milstein said. “It is a rare and exciting opportunity to have two such organizations come together to jointly advance such an important area.”

Sarkar is specifically excited about “the valuable opportunity to learn more about errors in diagnosis for outpatient physicians across a range of practice settings, and to find creative ways to improve medical practice.”

Robert Wachter, MD, chair of UCSF’s Department of Medicine and a member of The Doctors Company’s Board of Governors, has championed this collaboration.

“The Doctors Company insures 82,000 physicians in the U.S. and has a rare window into the causes of medical errors and strategies to mitigate them,” Wachter said. “By leveraging UCSF’s world-class research community, we believe that we can develop new insights into safety hazards and strategies to keep patients safe.”

May 6, 2019 by matray

In a 5-3 opinion released on April 23, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the state’s $350,000 cap on recoverable non-economic damages is unconstitutional.

According to the majority opinion in Beason v. I.E. Miller Services, Inc., the Court found the noneconomic damage cap to be an unconstitutional “special law” because it limited damages for only those who survive an accident and bring a civil lawsuit. The law did not limit damages for wrongful death lawsuits brought on behalf of the estates of persons killed in accidents. A statute is a “special law” when part of an entire class of similarly affected persons is segregated and targeted for different treatment and is prohibited by Article 5, Section 46 of the Oklahoma Constitution.

“The failing of the statute is that it purports to limit recovery for pain and suffering in cases where the plaintiff survives the injury-causing event, while persons who die from the injury-causing event face no such limitation,” Justice John Reif wrote in the majority opinion.

The Justices noted that the Oklahoma Constitution explicitly forbids any limitation on the amount of recoverable damages for injuries resulting in death. “By forbidding limits on recovery for injuries resulting in death, the people have left it to juries to determine the amount of compensation for pain and suffering in such cases, and no good reason exists for the Legislature to provide a different rule for the same detriment simply because the victim survives the harm-causing event,” according to the opinion. “And the people have demonstrated their intent that the Legislature not discriminate in this way by expressly prohibiting the Legislature from enacting special laws.”

The decision involved a lawsuit filed by a worker whose left arm was amputated following an accident at an oil well. An Oklahoma County jury awarded James Beason and his wife a total of $15 million, including $6 million for pain and suffering. A judge reduced the jury award on noneconomic damages to $700,000 — $350,000 for each of the Beasons — in order to comply with the law.

Upon striking down the damage cap law, the Supreme Court remanded the case back to the trial judge with instructions to enter judgment in the full amount of the jury’s verdict.

May 2, 2019 by matray

World Insurance Associates LLC, an independent insurance agency headquartered in Tinton Falls, N.J., acquired the Joseph A. Britton Agency, Inc. of Mountainside, N.J., on April 1, 2019.

The Joseph A. Britton Agency is a healthcare and professional liability insurance agency that services the needs of healthcare practices in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Since 1968, the agency has helped physicians, medical groups and healthcare facilities easily compare medical malpractice or business insurance quotes to get the coverage that meets their exact needs, even as those needs change.

“We’re thrilled to continue to grow our offerings for the healthcare industry,” said Rich Eknoian, CEO and co-founder of World Insurance Associates LLC. “The Joseph A. Britton Agency brings valuable knowledge and expertise to our organization.”

“It is a great honor and privilege for the Joseph A. Britton Agency to become an integral part of World Insurance Associates,” said Craig Skerpac, president of the Joseph A. Britton Agency. “World Insurance Associates provides our clients with a broad array of commercial and personal lines solutions. We look forward to a long alliance, protecting individuals, families and businesses."

World Insurance Associates LLC is an independent insurance agency headquartered in Tinton Falls, N.J. It offers personal and business insurance solutions in 50 states. The company specializes in transportation, hospitality, self-storage facilities, construction (surety), manufacturers and law firms.

May 2, 2019 by matray

The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL), an organization dedicated to lifelong professional growth and support of physicians in healthcare leadership and management, announced today the acquisition of Greenbranch Publishing, based in Baltimore County, Md. Among the Greenbranch assets that AAPL will acquire as part of the acquisition include the publisher’s flagship publication, The Journal of Medical Practice Management, eBooks, audio books, podcasts and 30 authors.

“The acquisition of Greenbranch Publishing represents a powerful opportunity to significantly expand our educational content for physicians and healthcare leaders,” said Peter Angood, MD, president and CEO of the AAPL. “Building on the success of our own PLJ-Physician Leadership Journal, and Greenbranch Publishing’s The Journal of Medical Practice Management, today’s announcement is another solid step in our journey to bolster the Association’s content. Greenbranch Publishing is the perfect partner to help us in our goal to empower physicians as leaders, to revolutionize medical practice and better serve the public health.”

Nancy Collins, who founded Greenbranch Publishing in 1999, will join the association’s leadership team as vice president of content procurement and distribution. Collins first entered publishing as an educational sales representative for Appleton-Century-Croft, a division of Prentice-Hall, in 1980. Five years later, Collins joined the Williams & Wilkins (W&W) editorial team, acquiring books in psychiatry and the sub-specialties of internal medicine. In 1987 Collins was recruited to the journal division of W&W as director of marketing. Eventually she became a vice president and publisher, heading up the proprietary unit, which included oversight over periodicals, newsletters and continuing medical education products. Following a merger that resulted in the newly formed company of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Collins left the organization in 1998 to launch Greenbranch Publishing. In 1999 she acquired the company's flagship publication, The Journal of Medical Practice Management, which served as the foundation for the media company that specialized in the business of medical practice, compliance, patient safety and physician career issues.

“We are thrilled to join forces with the American Association for Physician Leadership,” Collins said. “We are impressed with the society’s commitment to the life-long education of physicians, and they understand that original content is a crucial complement to any educational environment. The AAPL’s focus on quality and serving the information needs of their physician-members is compatible with the tradition of Greenbranch Publishing’s editorial excellence. Leveraging the Association’s technology to add content to their well-rounded platform of member benefits will enormously increase the opportunity for growth in 2019.”

“Nancy is a career medical publisher and an industry leader in developing well-loved brands, both in print and online,” Angood said. “We’re excited to work with Nancy and Greenbranch as we combine our energies to serve a broad range of physicians and healthcare leaders, at all points of their careers, with industry-leading educational content.”

May 1, 2019 by matray

The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association announced its intent to award Bertie Leigh, Esq., and Dan McLamb, Esq., with its “MPL Industry Defender Award.” The presentation is being held on Thursday, May 16, at the MPL Association Conference in Portland, Ore. Leigh and McLamb are being recognized for their exceptional support of the medical professional liability industry. The MPL Association is the international association representing a full range of organizations providing professional liability coverage for physicians, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and the wide array of medical clinicians and facilities.

Currently a Consultant Solicitor to Hempsons, a United Kingdom law firm, Leigh has conducted many of the leading cases in clinical negligence and regulatory law in the U.K. during the past 30 years, specializing in clinical negligence, professional regulation and training, National Health Service administration and employment. He served as president of the Medico-Legal Society, 2006-2008, was chair of the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) from 2009-2015 and is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health as well as a Fellow ad eundem of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Leigh has contributed to Dewhurst’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rennie and Roberton’s Neonatology, and Hardman et al Consent to Anaesthesia.

McLamb is a founding partner of Yates, McLamb & Weyher, LLP, a North Carolina-based firm. Recognized as one of the top professional liability defense litigators in North Carolina, his practice is focused on commercial litigation and professional liability defense. He represents businesses, physicians, hospitals and attorneys throughout North Carolina, and has spoken at numerous litigation and professionalism seminars as well as to healthcare providers on medical/legal issues. McLamb is a member of the American, North Carolina and Wake County Bar Associations, the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, and the International Association of Trial Attorneys. In 2014, McLamb was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Raleigh in the category “Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants” by Best Lawyers and U.S. News & World Report.

“We are honored to recognize the significant achievements of these two legal practitioners,” said Brian K. Atchinson, president and CEO, MPL Association. “We are grateful for the steadfast work of Mr. Leigh and Mr. McLamb for many years representing physicians, other clinicians and institutions that provide patient care and treatment. On behalf of our members and those they insure, the MPL Association is pleased to honor the work of Bertie Leigh and Dan McLamb.”

April 30, 2019 by matray

The MPL Association, the association representing the medical professional liability (MPL) community, today issued a reminder that its annual Conference will feature two of the leading voices on healthcare quality ratings: Leah Binder, president and chief executive officer, The Leapfrog Group, and Ben Harder, managing editor and chief, health analysis, U.S. News & World Report. They will present an interactive session on the impact of quality measures and will focus on the methods to rate and report on quality, safety, patient satisfaction and cost.

Binder and Harder will discuss the current and future uses of healthcare ratings, the key challenges in selecting the most appropriate metrics and what rating organizations have learned about consumer expectations for healthcare.

“These national thought leaders will provide key insights into the critical issues for those involved with managing risk and patient safety in the healthcare and medical liability community,” said Brian K. Atchinson, MPL Association president and CEO. “We are pleased to invite anyone with an interest in risk management and patient safety to the 2019 MPL Association Conference.”

The Conference, which is open to both MPL Association members and non-members, will be held May 15-17 at the Marriott Portland Waterfront in Portland, Wash.

The keynote speaker for the Conference is Kevin M. Kennedy, principal, ECG Management Consultants, who will explore disruptive forces in healthcare. He Kennedy will share his perspective on what these changes might mean, lessons from other industries, and how physicians and hospitals should respond.

Other topics to be explored during the two-day event include the changing face of enterprise risk management and the tools that drive performance and mitigate risk; the liability and risk implications of precision medicine; the impact of catastrophic cases; and much more.

For more information about the 2019 MPL Association Conference, or to register online, visit the MPL Association website at www.MPLassociation.org.