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.

April 25, 2019 by matray

Now in its 18th installment, American Conference Institute’s (ACI) Obstetric Malpractice Claims forum is back.

A fully revamped agenda will include discussions on the latest developments with the cranial compression ischemic encephalopathy argument, the plaintiff and defense’s perspective on mother and child genetic testing, timing of an injury, opioid-related injuries, reducing maternal morbidity/mortality, the defense and plaintiff’s perspective on early settlement of BI cases and more.

Join the faculty of the top plaintiffs and defense attorneys as well as medical and insurance experts as they share their insights on some of the most complex legal and medical challenges in this arena.

Obstetric malpractice claims are among the most expensive within the medical malpractice and health law arena. Jury verdicts can reach hundreds of millions of dollars. Constantly evolving advances in medical technology lead to new standards of care. As a result, it is essential that all those who are part of the obstetric malpractice continuum — medical professionals, risk managers, insurance professionals, plaintiffs’ and defense attorneys — stay current on the latest developments and claims impacting this area of practice.

Register by May 10th and Save $200!

As a Medical Liability Monitor reader, you are entitled to an additional 10% off registration with discount code: D10-673-673CX01

For more information on, or to register for, the Forum, visit:

https://www.americanconference.com/advanced-forum-obstetric-malpractice-claims/