MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
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patient are paramount. There's no acceptable alternative. Without ded-
icated mentors to reverse the current trend, the problem will only get
worse, leading to further failures and a litany of litigants.
• Speak up.
Say something. Those who cross the line need to be told
in no uncertain terms that their behavior is unprofessional and unac-
ceptable.
• Eliminate chronic offenders.
Those who insist on choosing their own
selfish interests over proper patient care must be removed from the
profession.
In short, it's going to take a dedicated and concerted effort on the
part of the entire healthcare industry and medical community to
reverse this alarming trend. If we continue to retreat from consistent
patient-first care, the uproar from patients and their attorneys will be
deafening. OSM
Mr. Landess (
william.landess@palmettohealth.org
) is the director of anes-
thesia at Palmetto Health Richland Campus in Columbia, S.C.
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