FW: OCMA / CMA Alert July 3, 2003 - Medical-Staff Under Attack in California
CAL/AAEM News Service
pottsbri@yahoo.com
Thu, 10 Jul 2003 21:03:00 -0700 (PDT)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Cynthia Johnson [mailto:cjohnson@ocma.org]
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 10:51 AM
CMA Alert
Medical-Staff Under Attack in California
Medical staff self-governance is key to assure quality of care and patient safety in the hospital. On April 24, 2003, the medical staff of Community Memorial Hospital of Ventura filed suit against the hospital administration for repeated actions in complete disregard of the medical staff's right to self-governance. The medical staff needs your support in this important legal battle. The outcome of this case could set the precedent for whether medical staffs retain control over quality of care and patient safety in hospitals in California.
There are a number of medical staff self-governance violations at the heart of this lawsuit. Among other things, the board of directors of Community Memorial Hospital of Ventura unilaterally:
1. Amended the medical staff bylaws to reflect new medical staff representation on the hospital board.
2. Seized the medical staff dues account and nullified the results of the medical staff elections.
3. Adopted a conflict-of-interest policy that forbids any doctor with a financial interest that competes with the hospital from voting as a staff member, serving as an elected staff leader, or serving on any medical staff committee.
4. Adopted a 20-page "Medical Staff Code of Conduct" as part of its corporate bylaws that establishes a "Standard of Behavior" for medical staff members. This "Code of Conduct" gives the hospital administration the authority to investigate and impose discipline on physicians for any violations of the "standards."
5. Required Medical Staff members to acknowledge and pledge obedience to these policies upon grant or renewal of privileges, including a pledge to obey the newly revised corporate bylaws that they were not permitted to see without signing a confidentiality agreement.
At the 2003 CMA Annual Session, the CMA Delegates voted unanimously to support the medical staff of Community Memorial Hospital of Ventura in its fight for self-governance as an organized medical staff. The resolution further called on CMA to encourage members to contribute to CMA's Legal Defense Fund, and to use the Fund to support the medical staff's legal actions.
Will your medical staff contribute? The California Medical Association asks for your medical staff's participation in this precedent setting court case, by contributing to the CMA Legal Defense Fund. The litigation will be lengthy, expensive, and will have serious implications for the self-governance rights of every medical staff in the state. Send checks to P.O. Box 7690, San Francisco, CA 94120-7690; Call CMA at 415/882-5144; or go to the CMA website http//www.calphys.org/html/defense.asp to print out a form or contribute by credit card on-line.
Thank you for your contribution!
R.S.V.P. Today
Join us for an Evening of Elegant Dining & Dancing at the 2003 Presidential Inauguration of
Kent R. Adamson, M.D.
Saturday, July 12, 2003 - OCMA Conference Center
Champagne Reception begins at 6:15 p.m. Please call 714/ 978-1160 if you did not receive your invitation.
ocma@ocma.org
www.ocma.org
Brian Potts
Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service
MS-IV, UC-Irvine
---------------------------------
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<DIV><FONT size=2>
<P></P>
<P>-----Original Message-----</P>
<P>From: Cynthia Johnson [</FONT><A href="mailto:cjohnson@ocma.org"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>mailto:cjohnson@ocma.org</U></FONT></A><FONT size=2>] </P>
<P>Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 10:51 AM</P>
<P></P>
<P>CMA Alert</P>
<P></P>
<P>Medical-Staff Under Attack in California</P>
<P>Medical staff self-governance is key to assure quality of care and patient safety in the hospital. On April 24, 2003, the medical staff of Community Memorial Hospital of Ventura filed suit against the hospital administration for repeated actions in complete disregard of the medical staff's right to self-governance. The medical staff needs your support in this important legal battle. The outcome of this case could set the precedent for whether medical staffs retain control over quality of care and patient safety in hospitals in California.</P>
<P></P>
<P>There are a number of medical staff self-governance violations at the heart of this lawsuit. Among other things, the board of directors of Community Memorial Hospital of Ventura unilaterally:</P>
<P>1. Amended the medical staff bylaws to reflect new medical staff representation on the hospital board. </P>
<P>2. Seized the medical staff dues account and nullified the results of the medical staff elections.</P>
<P>3. Adopted a conflict-of-interest policy that forbids any doctor with a financial interest that competes with the hospital from voting as a staff member, serving as an elected staff leader, or serving on any medical staff committee. </P>
<P>4. Adopted a 20-page "Medical Staff Code of Conduct" as part of its corporate bylaws that establishes a "Standard of Behavior" for medical staff members. This "Code of Conduct" gives the hospital administration the authority to investigate and impose discipline on physicians for any violations of the "standards." </P>
<P>5. Required Medical Staff members to acknowledge and pledge obedience to these policies upon grant or renewal of privileges, including a pledge to obey the newly revised corporate bylaws that they were not permitted to see without signing a confidentiality agreement. </P>
<P></P>
<P>At the 2003 CMA Annual Session, the CMA Delegates voted unanimously to support the medical staff of Community Memorial Hospital of Ventura in its fight for self-governance as an organized medical staff. The resolution further called on CMA to encourage members to contribute to CMA's Legal Defense Fund, and to use the Fund to support the medical staff's legal actions. </P>
<P></P>
<P>Will your medical staff contribute? The California Medical Association asks for your medical staff's participation in this precedent setting court case, by contributing to the CMA Legal Defense Fund. The litigation will be lengthy, expensive, and will have serious implications for the self-governance rights of every medical staff in the state. Send checks to P.O. Box 7690, San Francisco, CA 94120-7690; Call CMA at 415/882-5144; or go to the CMA website http//www.calphys.org/html/defense.asp to print out a form or contribute by credit card on-line. </P>
<P>Thank you for your contribution!</P>
<P></P>
<P></P>
<P></P>
<P></P>
<P>R.S.V.P. Today</P>
<P>Join us for an Evening of Elegant Dining & Dancing at the 2003 Presidential Inauguration of</P>
<P>Kent R. Adamson, M.D.</P>
<P>Saturday, July 12, 2003 - OCMA Conference Center</P>
<P>Champagne Reception begins at 6:15 p.m. Please call 714/ 978-1160 if you did not receive your invitation.</P>
<P></P>
<P>ocma@ocma.org</P>
<P></FONT><A href="http://us.f413.mail.yahoo.com/ym/www.ocma.org"><U><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>www.ocma.org</U></FONT></A></P></DIV><BR><BR><STRONG>Brian Potts <BR>Managing Editor, CAL/AAEM News Service</STRONG> <BR>MS-IV, UC-Irvine<p><hr SIZE=1>
Do you Yahoo!?<br>
<a href="http://pa.yahoo.com/*http://rd.yahoo.com/evt=1207/*http://promo.yahoo.com/sbc/">SBC Yahoo! DSL</a> - Now only $29.95 per month!
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