Questions (and Answers) of the Week - From Horty Springer
Horty Springer's Question of the Week column has recently featured a couple of interesting scenarios. Read the questions, decide what you think, and then click on Read the Answer to see whether your thoughts agree with those of the healthcare attorneys at HS:
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Q: An orthopedic surgeon has a standing order on file stating that his physician assistant ("PA") should be called whenever a patient presents to our ED who is in need of a cast or splint. These procedures are within the PA's scope of practice, but we feel really uncomfortable about this situation since the on call physician is not consulted about the specific condition of the patient before the PA is called. We don't think this practice is in compliance with EMTALA. Is it?
Q: We recently heard through the grapevine that a physician on our staff has been subject to a professional review action at another hospital in town. There have been no problems with his practice here, although he has also never been too busy at our facility. Should we look into what happened at the other hospital?
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