Public Relations & Media

Latest News

May 2010

PIAA Elects New Officers at May Conference

The PIAA elected a new slate of officers during its 33rd Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois.  The Association’s Board elected James L. Weidner, chief executive officer of the Cooperative of American Physicians, Inc. (CAP) and the Mutual Protection Trust (MPT), to serve as chair. Weidner joined CAP in 1995, and the number of California physicians served by the organization has tripled under his leadership. Click here for the full press release.

New HIPAA Guide Now Available

The complete third edition of the PIAA HIPAA Guide is now available in electronic format in the government relations area of the PIAA website. The new Guide contains all the information previously available regarding the Privacy and Security Rules, as well as the latest updates stemming from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The PIAA thanks its HIPAA Advisory Group for updating and revising this important resource. Click here to be directed to the Guide.

PIAA Restructures Affiliate Member Program for Defense Law Firms

The PIAA Defense Law Firm (DLF) Affiliate Membership category was initiated in 2008 to promote communication between medical professional liability (MPL) defense attorneys and the PIAA companies with which they work. The program was designed as a five-year pilot program with the flexibility to allow for the evolution of services and benefits that best meet the needs of DLF members. Based on feedback from the DLF member survey and the Defense Counsel Advisory Group—which consists of four DLF representatives and two insurance professionals—the PIAA has eliminated the advertising benefits as part of the DLF membership structure and, based on this change, has significantly reduced the DLF membership dues for 2010. Please note that these marketing opportunities can still be purchased by DLF members on an “a la carte” basis. A number of successes were realized in 2009, including the publication of a regular column, “Case and Comment,” in Physician Insurer magazine and the creation of a DLF session which debuted at the May 2010 PIAA Annual Meeting in Chicago. As this program continued to progress, a number of new enhancements—including the development of an expert witness database, the establishment of an online communication forum, and the addition of a resource page on the PIAA website for DLF members—are projected for 2010. The PIAA believes that broad participation in this membership category is critical to advance the organized effort to improve the healthcare litigation system. Please help make this program a success by connecting the PIAA with the defense law firms that work with your company. For more information, please contact Ginny Echeverria, director of business development and membership, at ginnye@piaa.us.

Login/Registration Instructions for Website

The newly redesigned PIAA website, www.piaa.us, has an enhanced individualized login feature that allows all board members, employees, and authorized representatives of PIAA member companies access to personalized member services and information. Create an online account to register for meetings and workshops, access enhanced content for members only, and utilize the restructured online store and shopping cart system. The setup is one-time, quick, and easy.  Click here and follow five simple steps.

PIAA Data Sharing Project: 25 Years and Counting

2010 marks the 25th anniversary of the PIAA Data Sharing Project (DSP). The DSP is a major on-going claim study, which currently includes 22 PIAA member companies submitting their claims data semi-annually. This effort, which began in 1985, has accumulated more than 260,000 claims and suits and continues to serve as the largest database of medical professional liability claims. The DSP includes claims against physicians, dentists, other healthcare providers and professional corporations. Over the next 12 months, PIAA research publications and other communication materials will be branded with a special logo commemorating this important achievement. In addition, data from the DSP will be prominently featured in a number of presentations at the 33rd PIAA Annual Meeting in Chicago. For details on the agenda for the 2010 Annual Meeting, click here.