Government
Calif. medical staff governance bill signed into law
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 11, 2004
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in late September signed a bill that strengthens hospital staff self-governance rights and paves the way for medical staffs to resolve future disputes in court. "This law ensures that the relationship between a hospital and its medical staff remains a horizontal and balanced one and promotes having medical staffs and hospitals as partners in high-quality patient care, rather than adversaries," said California Medical Assn. CEO Jack Lewin, MD.
The bill was sparked by a conflict between the hospital board and medical staff at Community Memorial Hospital of San Buenaventura in Ventura, Calif., that led doctors to sue the hospital. The dispute was settled in August.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/10/11/gvbf1011.htm.