Newswise — The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), through their new advocacy organization, Neurosurgeons to Preserve Health Care Access (NPHCA), have joined with other medical societies to form Doctors for Medical Liability Reform (DMLR). On Feb. 10, Doctors for Medical Liability Reform (DMLR) launched its Protect Patients Now initiative, a nationwide campaign aimed at informing and educating the public about how the medical liability crisis is limiting Americans' access to care by neurosurgeons, obstetricians-gynecologists, and other specialists.
As neurosurgery is one of the leading medical specialties devastated by this crisis, the AANS fully supports DMLR's Protect Patients Now Campaign. "While it may seem that neurosurgery is out of its depth tackling a legislative issue of this complexity in the national arena, it must be reiterated that there is no greater threat to neurosurgery than the medical liability crisis," stated AANS President A. John Popp, MD. "In support of this fight, which is so necessary for preserving our patients' access to neurosurgical care, the AANS is fully committed to working through Neurosurgeons to Preserve Health Care Access, which currently heads Doctors for Medical Liability Reform."
From the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to media events in Seattle, Wash., and in Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., neurosurgeons and other specialists are providing Americans with their first-hand perspectives on the real-life tragedies that occur every day because of a broken medical-legal system. In-depth information on the Protect Patients Now campaign and the DMLR is available at http://www.protectpatientsnow.org.
DMLR includes the following organizations: Neurosurgeons to Preserve Health Care Access (American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons); American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons; American College of Emergency Physicians; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American College of Surgeons Professional Association; The Society of Thoracic Surgeons; American College of Cardiology; American Academy of Dermatology Association; National Association of Spine Specialists; and the American Urological Association.
Neurosurgeons to Preserve Health Care Access (NPHCA) is a tax-exempt social welfare advocacy organization dedicated to promoting sound public policies that preserve patient access to healthcare. NPHCA was created by the AANS, http://www.AANS.org, and the CNS and is organized under 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its purpose is to preserve and improve patients' access to timely and consistent quality neurosurgical healthcare. Additional information about NPHCA is available at http://www.neuros2preservecare.org.
In-depth information about the medical liability crisis and its effect on neurosurgery is also available in the Fall 2003 issue of the AANS Bulletin, http://www.aans.org/bulletin/Issue.aspx?IssueId=13303.
Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 6,500 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves.
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