In the loud and often rancorous debate over the spiraling cost of malpractice insurance in Maryland, all sides agree on one point: Unless there is a concerted effort to identify and correct the root causes, more and more doctors will either
limit their practices, retire early or move elsewhere. The quality of and access
to medical care in Maryland will severely impact each and every citizen.
The Maryland General Assembly recently created a special fund intended to pay this yearís 33 percent increase in premiums for doctors and some hospitals. The fund hopes to freeze current premiums by imposing a 2 percent tax on HMOís. The bill does not address root causes. Those who believe higher insurance premiums are a result of the medical communityís failure to police itself will take little comfort in knowing those doctors have now been relieved of the burden of paying higher insurance premiums. Those claiming that a legal system run wild
is the real culprit see an unchecked rise in the dollars going to insurance companies to pay for outrageous settlements.
Many people see the issue as confined to a small group of doctors and trial lawyers, far removed from their daily lives. There has been insufficient effort devoted to demonstrating the need for long-term reform, without which medical care ñ as well as the doctor-patient relationship ñ will be affected within
Maryland and beyond. And now that effort is underway.
A dedicated coalition of concerned citizens ñ including physicians, civic and business leaders and foundations ñ are producing a documentary, If the Bough Breaks, designed to reach to the heart of the problem: doctors giving care to their patients. This film tells both the human and professional story of Dr. Carol Ritter,
a Maryland OB/GYN, who gave up her obstetrics practice in January of 2004 because of increased malpractice insurance rates. By putting a human face to
an otherwise abstract issue, people can readily relate to the dilemma faced by many doctors ñ the vast majority of whom are fully competent in their practice
of medicine ñ of having to leave practice because of the increased cost of malpractice premiums, increases impacted by excessive litigation.
This film is focused on Maryland, but the threat to patient care as a result of rising insurance costs is a national problem. The Medical Society of Virginia promoted
a powerful legislative agenda that has been backed nationwide by the American Medical Association. President Bush has indicated his concern and pledged his support in seeking reform.
This documentary will become a major element in the expanding effort to reach out to communities throughout the United States. The dramatic impact of If the Bough Breaks speaks directly to the individual, bringing with it the immediacy possible only in film.
IF THE BOUGH BREAKS
If the Bough Breaks is an in depth view of the impact of soaring insurance rates and excessive litigation on the men and women who have dedicated their lives
to the care of others and the patients for whom they care. Using the practice of Obstetrics as an example, the film puts a face to the problem and gives voice to the frustration of all doctors who find themselves forced to limit or cease
altogether the work they love.
There is nothing easy about Obstetrics. Babies donít wait for normal business hours, and young mothers in labor cannot be told to take two aspirins and call in the morning. The doctors who choose this specialty know that from the outset. As obstetrician Dr. Berlin says so poignantly at the beginning of If the Bough Breaks, ìThe hours are long, but you should feel honored in that youíre being allowed to participate in the most important life event of anybody.î The film portrays the profound dedication and deep reverence that these doctors have for their
patients.
It is just that dedication that underscores the deep concern they each feel for the future of medicine in Maryland. If the Bough Breaks focuses on one doctor in particular, Dr. Carol Ritter, showing how her struggle with increasing insurance premiums and the rise of lawsuits without merit have forced her to radically alter her practice. In a particularly moving segment, Dr. Ritter talks about having to
give up Obstetrics as a part of her practice but going to Latin America for two weeks each year and Sri Lanka following the tsunami as a volunteer for, ìthe sheer joy of doing what I do best but canít do in Maryland.î
If the Bough Breaks then takes the viewer through a clear, well-balanced presentation of those root causes that lie behind the huge increase in
malpractice insurance premiums. The documentary offers a compelling
portrayal of the impact of aggressive malpractice litigation on doctors whose expertise is acclaimed and whose clinical practice is highly regarded.
The filmís focus then shifts to the patients. There is no better way for the general public to understand how this issue will affect their lives than to see the concern on these doctorsí faces as they talk about the overwhelming need for services they feel they can no long provide, or to hear the anguish of patients as they tell their story of losing their treasured doctor.
If the Bough Breaks reaches out to Marylanders by presenting them with an intimate view into the lives of those individuals on the front line of delivering the best medical care in America. We can think of no better way to ensure that the message they have is brought home to each of us.
IF THE BOUGH BREAKS - AN INVITATION
The producers of If the Bough Breaks demonstrate a rare sensitivity by portraying the complicated and contentious issue of medical malpractice in human terms.
By avoiding partisan politics, If the Bough Breaks brings us into that special relationship between doctor and patient, reminding each of us just how
important that is in our daily lives.
We would like to invite you to take a leading role in ensuring that the voice of patients and the medical community is heard. Your support of this documentary ensures that the general public will have the opportunity to see a balanced and fair presentation of the issues. If the Bough Breaks will premier in Baltimore and will subsequently be released in theaters throughout the state and nation.
Your contribution to help fund this important effort in public awareness will
provide an essential element in defending and promoting the excellent quality
of health care we, as patients, are privileged to enjoy. Maryland has a richly deserved reputation as a state second to none in medical care, with the first medical school in the country at the University of Maryland and with Johns Hopkins Hospital rated # 1 in the country year after year.
This is a cherished tradition, one worthy of our support.
In the final analysis, your support for If the Bough Breaks will go toward ensuring that when the moment comes and help is needed, our doctors will be there for us.
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