What the devil does the doctor mean?

By Jim Waters

The devil's missing from Gov. Ernie Fletcher's latest proposal to bring medical-liability reform to Kentucky.

His plan creates an "independent board of medical professionals" to determine the merit of lawsuits against doctors. But the details - where the devil lies - remain ghost-like. Perhaps the devil got all caught up in Halloween, or maybe he's "gone down to Georgia" to fiddle around.

The governor began his administration promoting capping noneconomic damages in medical-malpractice lawsuits. Apparently, he's given up on being able to get that idea through a legislature filled with lawyer-legislators.

So, give the governor credit for at least trying to address the problem - even if the details are missing.

Medical-malpractice lawsuits really don't get filed that often in Kentucky. And there aren't that many high-dollar awards. But Fletcher says it's the risk of lawsuits that drives up malpractice premiums, and drives doctors out of the state.

Now that's scary.

In a Business First article, Dr. Kimberly Alumbaugh, recognized as one of Louisville's top OB/GYNs, and Dr. Dan Vaga, past president of the Kentucky Medical Association, bemoaned the fact that almost 60 percent of Kentucky's in-state medical school graduates "choose to leave the state to establish their clinical practices after graduation."

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