MEDICAL WHISTLEBLOWERS EXPOSE SECRET RETALIATION TACTICS

[Guest guest]

Medical Whistleblowers Expose Secret Hospital Retaliation Tactics

“The NIH reports 190,000 hospital deaths are due to errors. Those who are

most vocal in reporting problems or advocating for the best care for patients

are usually those who face retaliation within the hospital system.â€

Contact: Serkes, Association of American Physicians & Surgeons,

(AAPS)

202-333-3855 or kaserkes@...

News Advisory:

Date: Tuesday, May 9

Time: 2:45 pm, followed by Congressional briefing 3 - 4:30 pm

Location: U.S. Capitol Rm. HC8

Event: National Medical Association exposes hospital retaliation against

medical whistleblowers

-- Physician, Lawyer, Government, Security & Veteran Whistleblower

Groups Form New Task Force

The Semmelweis Society, a national association dedicated to ending medical

peer-review injustice, will announce the formation of a new, broad-based,

non-partisan whistleblower task force to fight for additional protection for

medical whistleblowers. A four-point action plan will be announced, including a

Congressional investigation into how many lives and how much money could be

saved if healthcare workers had a safe environment to report problems before

they turn fatal.

The coalition includes physician, legal, government integrity, security and

veteran groups, such as the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons,

the American Trial Lawyers Association, the VA Whistleblowers Coalition, the

National Security Whistleblowers Coalition, the Government Accountability

Coalition, and Common Cause.

BACKGROUND:

The NIH reports 190,000 hospital deaths are due to errors. Those who are

most vocal in reporting problems or advocating for the best care for patients

are usually those who face retaliation within the hospital system. Economic

competitors look for ways to get other doctors out of the picture.

The most common tool used against physicians is " bad-faith " peer review,

which is an internal process that is used to revoke hospital privileges. These

so-called " disruptive " physicians then face hard ball tactics taught by

lawyers in secret courses for hospitals to eliminate those doctors without

benefit

of any legal due process.

Speakers:

Hinnant, M.D., President, Semmelweis Society

Larry Huntoon, M.D., PhD, Editor-In-chief, Journal of American Physicians &

Surgeons

Kuritzky, Medical Student expelled after exposing hospital neglect

Larry Polinar, M.D., victim of bad-faith peer review

Tom Devine, Government Accountability Project

Larry White, J.D., American Trial Lawyers Association

Congressional Policy Briefing After News Conference - kicked off by Sen. Tom

Coburn, M.D.

For more information, see http://www.semmelweis.org

http://www.usnewswire.com/-0-

/© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/