Hospitals Insurance Company

Curbside Consults: A Better Approach

Informal consults and the seeking of second opinions—sometimes referred to as “curbside consults”— have long been commonplace in medicine. Understanding what constitutes a curbside consult—as well as whether or not to memorialize the information exchanged during such a consult—can help protect all parties should a case later result in a malpractice claim. Read more.

What Physicians Need to Know About the Office of Professional Medical Conduct

Although the number of medical malpractice payouts in New York State decreased steadily between 2005 and 2014, the number of adverse actions reported to the National Practitioner Databank —including medical license actions and censures by the New York State Health Department's Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC)—increased nearly 30 percent during the same period. A finding of misconduct by the OPMC can result in serious repercussions, ranging from a reprimand to license revocation and fines of up to $10,000. Read more.

HIC Palm Scanning Initiative

HIC Hospitals Enhance Safety In Emergency Departments

For a significant number of patients, their most frequent interaction with clinicians occurs in the emergency room. In many communities, emergency departments serve as a critical health care safety net—making the quality of care in the ER a high priority for health care policy makers and hospital administrators. Read more.

HIC Program Improves OB Safety

A new report from Hospitals Insurance Company (HIC) shows a 42 percent drop in the number of complications during labor and delivery among member institutions. The findings were remarkable, given that close to 15 percent of all deliveries in New York State occur in HIC member hospitals. Read more.