Marijuana: Is it medicine or not?
March 15, 2010
Americans have a split personality when it comes to marijuana.
A Gallup Poll last October found that support for legalizing marijuana reached an all-time high at 44 percent of the population. But that’s still a minority. Read more
A closer look at health care solutions for the drug epidemic
January 13, 2010
Following months of hearings and testimony, the Massachusetts OxyContin and Heroin Commission issued its report and recommendations in November. Read more
Doctor’s View: Aging drivers and public safety: The physician’s role
October 13, 2009
Following several widely reported incidents in which older drivers caused auto accidents, including one that resulted in the death of a 4-year-old, the elderly driver is increasingly seen as a major public safety concern. Read more
Why saying ‘I’m sorry’ helps to heal: Patients’ attorneys shed light on the benefits of apology
June 25, 2009
By Jeffrey N. Catalano, Esq.
and Lisa G. Arrowood, Esq.
Mediation in a medical negligence lawsuit we handled last year started like any other, but took an unexpected twist.
The case involved the tragic death of a young girl, whom we will call Samantha, from an undiagnosed and untreated shunt malfunction in her brain. Read more
Mandated care requires a careful balancing act
October 17, 2008
Physicians and other health care providers are operating under an increasing number of restraints, guidelines, regulations and laws.
These “mandates” are coming from multiple sources: state and federal governments, the courts, insurance companies, regulatory agencies and independent health care organizations that accredit and certify facilities and programs.
As other health care workers’ duties expand, so does physicians liability
June 12, 2008
From universal coverage and innovations in health information technology to growing physician shortages and soaring costs, Massachusetts finds its health care system stretched and strained.
Physicians in particular, at the center of the system, are being challenged in many ways – clinically, economically, politically and professionally.
Medical expert witness standards long overdue
March 17, 2008
By Maryanne C. Bombaugh, M.D.
Historically, judges have been responsible for deciding who is qualified to testify in their courtrooms.
Their decisions on admitting expert testimony are often critical to the outcomes of medical malpractice cases, and the factors judges should consider in making those decisions constitute one of the more contentious areas in professional liability law.




