As Dr. Armando Fuentes, perinatologist at Florida Hospital, wrapped up his heart-wrenching story about a patient whose baby died because the mother did not have access to a specialist for proper prenatal care, many people attending the Community Conversation realized that the crisis is real, and it’s happening now.
Several Central Florida residents gathered recently on the campus of Rollins College for the “Healthcare Crisis Community Conversation” to learn more about the medical liability crisis in Florida and how the community can address it. The conversation, hosted by Dr. Craig McAllaster, dean of the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College and myregion.org’s Executive Committee member and Healthcare Co-Chair, examined how the issue is affecting hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies.
Dr. Joseph Portoghese, a surgeon with Surgical Associates of Winter Park, told the audience about how medical liability is personally affecting him, due to the fact that his practice will be dropped from their current medical liability insurance provider in January 2003. This leaves their practice with limited options: quit practicing medicine, move to another state where insurance rates are lower, or practice in Florida without insurance which is known as “going bare.” Dr. Portoghese and his colleagues have not yet made a decision as to what they will do, but say that there is no good option at this point.
While these stories may seem shocking, chances are many Central Floridians will soon be affected by their physicians facing the same problems. In fact, at Florida Hospital, insurance policies for 931 doctors come up for renewal in January 2003, forcing them to decide whether to renew their current policy at a 120% increase or to “go bare” and practice without medical liability insurance. Either way, the doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and most of all patients, will be paying a very high price!
The community conversation panel included: Rich Morrison, Regional Vice President, Florida Hospital Government Relations; Dick Batchelor, President of Dick Batchelor Management Group; State Representative Bob Allen; Kurt Driscoll, Florida Insurance Council Executive Committee; Dr. Armando Fuentes, perinatologist; Dr. Joseph Portoghese, surgeon; and David Evans, general counsel for Orlando Regional Healthcare and lawyer with Mateer & Harbert. They addressed the concerns of the audience and also stressed that the medical liability crisis is real and will soon affect everyone.
If you would like to learn more about the medical liability crisis, please visit www.HealFLHealthcare.org. To make your voice heard, contact your local elected officials before the end of February and encourage them to do something about this crisis before it is too late.
