The Doctors Company Launches Foundation to Advance and Protect the Practice of Good Medicine
Napa, California—April 21, 2009—The Doctors Company, the largest national insurer of physician and surgeon medical liability in the U.S., announced the launch of The Doctors Company Foundation dedicated to promoting and supporting research that will enhance patient safety and legal reform.
The Doctors Company Foundation provides charitable grants to support patient safety research, forums, and pilot programs, physician education programs, and medical liability research.
“As part of our mission and commitment to advance the practice of good medicine, we created The Doctors Company Foundation to stimulate and facilitate patient safety and risk management programs that will reduce patient risk and improve the environment in which doctors’ practice,” said Leona Egeland Siadek, executive director of The Doctors Company Foundation.
Nearly $160,000 in foundation grants has been approved to date, including:
• $75,000 donated to the Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) to reform medical education curricula by incorporating patient safety, patient care processes, and communications. The grant will also go toward the sponsorship of the Lucian Leape Institute Town Hall Plenary Session at the NPSF Congress in May 2009.
• The California Medical Association (CMA) Foundation received an $11,000 grant to support a March 2009 Diabetes Summit. The summit focused on the improvement of patient self-management of diabetes for physician members of the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations. The CMA Foundation also received an additional $10,000 to provide grants to medical students to encourage community leadership development.
• $25,000 granted to the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation to establish The Doctors Company Foundation Ann S. Lofsky, MD Research Award. Dr. Lofsky was a former board member of The Doctors Company.
• A $30,000 grant in memory of Thomas A. Waltz, MD, a former board member of The Doctors Company, to Scripps Health for sponsorship of The Doctors Company Foundation Thomas A. Waltz, MD, Memorial Lecture on “Quality in Health Care” at the Scripps Health Quality Summit.
• To recognize physicians demonstrating leadership in patient safety, the Foundation will award the Vanguard Award for the Advancement of Patient Safety. Gerald B. Hickson, MD, founder of the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was the first award recipient to receive a $1,000 grant.
The Foundation’s Board of Directors includes David B. Troxel, MD, chairman, Robert D. Francis, vice chairman, David G. Preimesberger, treasurer and secretary, and Leona Egeland Siadek, executive director. Directors for the Foundation are Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company, Robin Diamond, MSN, JD, RN, senior vice president of patient safety, Charles R. Kossman, PhD, MD, Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD, FACS, and Kathleen D. Ricord.
For more information on The Doctors Company Foundation, please visit www.thedoctors.com/foundation.
About The Doctors Company
Founded by doctors for doctors in 1976, The Doctors Company (www.thedoctors.com) is relentlessly committed to advancing, protecting, and rewarding the practice of good medicine. The Doctors Company is the largest national insurer of physician and surgeon medical liability in the U.S. with 45,000 member physicians, $2.8 billion in assets, and an A rating by Fitch Ratings.
About The Doctors Company Foundation
The Doctors Company Foundation is committed to advancing and protecting the practice of good medicine. Founded by The Doctors Company in 2008, the Foundation focuses on promoting and supporting research that will enhance patient safety, physician education, and legal reform.
