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CAPITOL
Group urges state to provide better oversight of doctors
BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter

    Urging more public disclosure and accountability, the New York Public Interest Research Group and the Center for Medical Consumers issued a report Tuesday, “Strengthening New York State’s Oversight of Doctors.”
    They also endorsed Gov. David Paterson’s Program Bill 54, which they said would significantly strengthen the state’s oversight of doctors.
    NYPIRG Legislative Director Blair Horner said that over the past dozen years, the number of doctors being disciplined by the state Health Department has been declining, even though the overall numbers of doctors and complaints are rising.
    New York is more restrictive than most states in releasing information about problematic doctors, Horner said at a news conference.
    The Paterson bill is the same as one sponsored in the Assembly by Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan, chairman of the Health Committee, according to state Health Department spokeswoman Claudia Hutton. Gottfried’s bill memo (for bill number A-11136) says the legislation “will improve patient safety by: (1) strengthening the physician disciplinary process; (2) making information about particular professional misconduct proceedings available to consumers.”
    Hutton said the Health Department supports the legislation and worked on developing it with the governor. She acknowledged that the Health Department has had difficulty keeping up with doctor discipline cases, saying: “We did not get an increase in staff proportionate to the increase in complaints.”
    Hutton said the Paterson bill clarifies that the Health Department has the right of access to patient records.
    The Medical Society of the State of New York did not respond Tuesday to repeated requests for comment. In a May 14 news release responding to Paterson’s bill, the society did not take an explicit position on it, but said: “The prevention of adverse medical outcomes through enhanced quality is far more productive than any punitive measure taken after the fact.”
    The release says the Society has long sought to improve the doctor discipline process, wants to protect the rights of everyone involved and favors “tort reform, premium relief, medical liability carrier relief and enhanced quality.”
    Horner said the Senate Health Committee is considering the Paterson bill but its leadership has not yet taken a position on it.

How about 'discipline' for patients that refused to follow the recommendation from their MD's to exercise and lose weight to assist in their management of their diabetes,heart disease etc......oh, wait, my mistake,,,,,national health care will be the 'discriminating' authority it always is and will deem when the patient is accountable to the taxpayer supported national healthcare system....or,, will it step aside and let the fastfood system of healthcare by menu numbers take over.....let's see.......coming soon to a dinner table discussion near you........

the lawyers and investors will love this one......big daddy, or is it my baby's daddy or is it big brother or, what ever we shall call the government (or any entity that makes decisions for us) who will also get a piece of this pie and call it "leveling the field".......

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CAPITOL
Paterson signs bills for better medical care
The Associated Press

    ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson signed dozens of bills into law Thursday aimed at cracking down on bad doctors and improving training to control infection in hospitals.
    Now any disciplinary charge against a physician will be made public, instead of being kept secret until a case is proved. Investigations can take six months.
    Paterson said the bills he signed will improve patient safety.
    Sen. Kemp Hannon, a Nassau County Republican, said the measures he sponsored are a collaboration between legislators and the Democratic governor.
    The goal is to give the Offi ce of Professional Medical Conduct more power and oversight of physicians, to provide more information to New Yorkers in the case of public health threats and to prevent problems from happening in the first place.
    In 2007, the state Health Department received 8,163 complaints against doctors. Of those, officials opened 4,151 investigations. Ultimately charges were brought against just 311 physicians. Health officials said the vast majority of those were sustained, meaning the doctor was found guilty of misconduct.
    “Strengthening the disciplinary system for physicians and giving the public more information, combined with enhancing infection control measures, is vital to the safety of all of our citizens,” Paterson said.
    Hannon, the Senate Health Committee chairman, said the measures will clarify the Health Department’s power in taking action against dangerous physicians.
    The infection-related measures were in part a reaction to Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, an anesthesiologist from Long Island accused of dipping syringes more than once into vials of medicine, contaminating the drugs and infecting at least one person with hepatitis.
    Paterson also vetoed a slew of costly bills.
    In other action, Paterson:
    Signed the textbook access act requiring colleges and universities to provide greater transparency, choice and pricing of textbooks and other college resources they require students to buy. The bill aims to end bundling by companies and other practices that can unnecessarily cost students more.
    Signed a bill into law that requires greater training for prospective teachers, current teachers and administrators in recognizing autism and the needs of children with autism.
    Paterson also vetoed 34 bills, including two bills to protect older New Yorkers. One would have required the Department of Transportation to identify areas with a high rate of pedestrian accidents involving the elderly, with an eye for taking action. Another would have created a “fall and injury preventing program” along with an “injury prevention coordinating council.” Paterson said the bills’ flaws included a lack of funding.

With this new law watch our NYS doctors flee the state now!!!


and,.........

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Paterson also vetoed 34 bills, including two bills to protect older New Yorkers. One would have required the Department of Transportation to identify areas with a high rate of pedestrian accidents involving the elderly, with an eye for taking action. Another would have created a “fall and injury preventing program” along with an “injury prevention coordinating council.” Paterson said the bills’ flaws included a lack of funding.

THANK GOD!!!! These are nonsense!

Society should know what to do and how to behave with ourselves aging....if only the 'Spears and Hiltons' would shut the hell up.....and the rest of the 'kids'.....