Public Relations & Media

Latest News Archive

April - May 2009

Jimmie A. Gleason, MD To Be Honored with 2009 Peter Sweetland Award of Excellence
Jimmie A. Gleason, MD, a long time leader in medicine and the medical professional liability insurance industry, has been named as the 2009 Peter Sweetland Award of Excellence recipient.  Dr. Gleason will be honored by the PIAA on Saturday, May 15 at the 32nd Annual Meeting in Hawaii .  Over his distinguished career, Dr. Gleason has served as the chairman of the board and president of the Kansas Medical Mutual Insurance Company, president of Lincoln Center OB/GYN, P.A., board member of Heartland Health and the Kansas Health Care Provider Insurance Availability Plan, and on numerous committees at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center.  Dr. Gleason’s service to the PIAA includes chairman of the board from 2003-05, board member from 1999-2006, and chairman of the CPE Committee from 1999-2003. (PIAA, 5/1)

PIAA Welcomes New Affiliate Member
The PIAA is pleased to welcome OSAM Document Solutions Inc. (OSAM), a leading provider of document management systems, as a new affiliate member.  OSAM, which stands for Office Systems And MicroImaging, is based in Arizona and provides electronic content management systems. This includes consulting, technical, scanning, and support services.  In addition, OSAM is the Bronze Meeting Sponsor for the 2009 PIAA Annual Meeting and will have a booth in the exhibit hall. The company's designated contact to the PIAA is Ron Thompson, Jr., president & CEO.  For information on PIAA membership or Annual Meeting sponsorship opportunities please contact Ginny Echeverria, director of business development and membership, at ginnye@piaa.us.  (PIAA, 4/10)

Updated FAQ on Medicare’s Mandatory Reporting Requirements
With the July 1st registration deadline for the Medicare Mandatory Reporting Requirements testing period fast approaching, be sure your company has the most up-to-date information regarding the implementation process. The PIAA’s Government Relations Department has updated its FAQ document to reflect recent information provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), such as updates on the time frame for reporting, dollar thresholds for reporting, and information on how to report verdicts that are appealed. To view the updated FAQ document click here. (PIAA, 4/16)

Hawaii Legislature Advances Medical Liability Bill
The Hawaii House Judiciary Committee recently approved a bill that would set additional caps on noneconomic damages in medical liability claims against doctors in five specialties.  The award limits would be set by a medical professional liability task force.  A separate medical professional liability insurance rate commission would recommend reasonable market-price medical professional liability insurance rates for physicians who specialize in emergency medicine, neurological surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic surgery, and general surgery.  Though the legislation is not perfect, the vote was a significant hurdle for doctors and other supporters of medical liability reform, since similar bills have died before the committee in the past. The bill was drafted as a compromise to get House approval and to encourage talks with the state Senate, where many senators are opposed.  The "Last Word" column in the second quarter issue of Physician Insurer, which will be distributed at the 2009 PIAA Annual Meeting, further discusses the issue of tort reform at the state level. (Honolulu Advertiser, 4/10)