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Volume 17 • Issue 9 • $5.00 March 2021
THE REGION’S MONTHLY NEWSPAPER FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS & PHYSICIANS

COVID-19 DOCTOR’S DAY MALPRACTICE

Salute to Physicians! INSURANCE

BY FRANK ASTOR, MD other contagions killed hun-
dreds of millions around the
March 30 is Doctors’ Day, world. Physicians and med-
an annual observance for ical researchers worked tire-
acknowledging and appreci- lessly to find ways to eradi-
ating physicians who we rely cate these deadly diseases.
on and trust to make us feel Many of them did their
better, cure our disease, and work in a laboratory with lit-
even save lives. The holiday tle notoriety or fanfare.
first started in 1933 in Throughout the past year,
Winder, Georgia, and since physicians and healthcare
then it has been honored providers have battled the
Dr. Shawnette Saddler
every year on March 30 Dr. Frank Astor Corona Dragon, risking
which was the first anniver- their lives to make others Bill Gompers
The Promise of sary of Dr. Crawford Long, an American better. While we say thank you after our
surgeon, using ether as a general anesthet- clinic visits or annual check-ups, it is now,
Vaccines for All ic to perform major surgeries without more than ever that these courageous men Communication
and women on the frontline are saluted for
pain.
Eudora Brown Almond, the wife of a their heroism and dedication to the com- Key to Avoiding
doctor in Georgia, believed her husband munities they serve.
BY SHAWNETTE SADDLER, MD
and other physicians deserved more recog- Although the publication date of this
nition for their hard work and set out to editorial is March 1, I salute my fellow col- Malpractice
The COVID-19 pandemic has been
the greatest public health and healthcare make this idea a reality, exactly 91 years leagues not only on this day, but for the
challenge of our time. In the face of this after Dr. Long’s remarkable discovery. entire month of March and for the past Claims
challenge, Broward Health caregivers Some notable facts about physicians: year. We will get through this pandemic.
have remained committed to providing • In the U.S., there are over 700,000 We are grateful to our physicians for lead-
quality healthcare to all we serve. doctors. ing us through this difficult time. We BY VANESSA ORR
The resiliency of our community and • Nearly half (47%) of graduating med- relied upon you and once again … you
our region has been put on display in ical students in 2018 were female. saved lives, cured our symptoms, and By the time a physician has been in
the face of COVID-19, and again we • Some doctors work as many as 60-80 made us feel better. practice for 40 years, the majority—75
have shown our strength in unity and hours per week Saludos, Cheers and Bravo! Thank You! percent of those in low-risk specialties,
our commitment to one another. As we • It can take up to 11 years to become a and 99 percent of those in high-risk spe-
move into a new phase of the pandemic, doctor in the United States. Dr. Frank Astor is cialties—will most likely have been
with a vaccine that is showing promise Centuries before coronavirus, plague, chief medical officer for WITHmyDOC. involved in at least one malpractice
in helping us turn the corner against smallpox, yellow fever, Spanish flu and claim. On average, these claims involve
COVID-19, our strength and unity are indemnity payments of approximately
more important than ever before. HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE $300,000 or more, plus any claims
The virus has ravaged our region, and expense, and the fallout can follow
it has taken an even larger toll on our physicians throughout their careers.
Black and Hispanic communities. As we Design for Our Caregivers According to Bill Gompers, CFE,
begin administering the COVID-19 vac- healthcare providers’ insurance specialist
cine and seeing its highly effective at Danna-Gracey, the largest independent
results, we know these communities BY CHARLES MICHELSON medical malpractice insurance agency in
have experienced historic issues with Florida, the single greatest way that
access to care and a lack of minority There has been a tremendous amount written about the physicians can avoid malpractice claims
providers delivering care. impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon design and is through effective communication.
As a member of the Black community healthcare facilities. “New normal,” “healthcare design “Roughly 80 percent of claims are the
and a healthcare provider, these issues strategies,” and “redefining how we work and live” have result of poor communication and sys-
hit close to home for me, particularly in been the catch phrases we have heard over the past year tem breakdowns,” he explained. “Not
the fight against this deadly virus. The and the ongoing discussions in relation to the physical properly communicating with patients
COVID-19 vaccines represent a turning form these phrases take with regard to the buildings in and staff can cause problems that could
point in the pandemic and the first sign which we work and live. have been nipped in the bud.”
of hope toward widespread recovery Also, over this past year, we have watched the news and Manage Expectations
from the virus and its impacts. While listened to the conversation about the impact of COVID- Charles Michelson
vaccinations are critical to slowly end- 19 upon healthcare workers; the stresses of being over- According to Gompers, physicians
ing the pandemic and keeping our com- worked, anxious, pressured, sense of being overwhelmed, feelings of isolation and should talk to patients as if they were
munities safe, the underlying mistrust of depression. peers, showing empathy, communicating
healthcare providers within minority In response, the design of medical facilities must include architectural designs that clearly and providing thorough explana-
communities represents another chal- reduce stress and anxiety of the doctors, nurses, and all our frontline workers. tions during every point of contact.
lenge we must overcome together. Medical facility design has been patient-centric, demonstrating care and concern While many malpractice cases are the
Continued on page 38 Continued on page 31 Continued on page 10