Opinion
MSSNY: No position so far on Clinton-Obama medical error bill
LETTER — Posted Dec. 5, 2005
Regarding "New bill promotes apology, negotiations to handle errors," (Article, Oct. 24/31): Your article was mistaken in stating that the Medical Society of the State of New York "issued public statements of support for the legislation," the National Medical Error Disclosure and Compensation Act of 2005, authored by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D, N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D, Ill.).
Patient safety is a major issue, which MSSNY continues to discuss and support. It believes that reducing medical error rates, as well as medical liability exposure and costs, should continue to be advanced. But the policy-making bodies of our society have yet to consider this bill.
Robert A. Scher, MD, president, Medical Society of the State of New York
Editor's note: Our incorrect characterization of the MSSNY's position was based on a Clinton news release. The society did not return calls at the time of the reporting. We regret the error.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/12/05/edlt1205.htm.
