Protect the Patients! Please Come if you Can!
I usually do not like to use Life as a Zebra as a forum for politics, but I feel like this issue is different since it is very personal to me, as someone whose life has been directly affected by governmental immunity.
If you have been following my posts, you know that I testified back in May against a few Senate Bills that could ultimately (if passed) require all Michigan doctors to merely just “try their best,” and afford all doctors in Michigan with governmental immunity. Being someone whose whole life was affected by this law, it is impossible for me to neither comprehend nor understand why any legislature would want to pass a law such as this that would, in essence, let doctors off the hook for committing medical malpractice on a patient.
You can read my testimony and more about my experiences here and here.
Further, I strongly believe that it should be the right of all patients to know that their doctors are being held accountable, to a high standard of patient care, while using objective, fair, and ethical criteria. In my eyes, and because of my experiences, I believe the ethical thing to do is to maintain the integrity of patient care by not passing the proposed laws.
Anyways, the reason for this post is this:
I originally thought that the committee would not meet about these proposed laws again until the fall. However, I received an email from my lawyer yesterday, that honestly fired me up, and pushed me to put this post out there…Reading the email, it became clear that this could be our final ditch effort to try to convince the legislature that these laws are NOT in the best interest of the people.
Here’s a snippet of the email:
The Michigan Insurance Committee Senate will hold its 4th hearing on SB’s 1115-1118 on July 18. The Medical Society has pushed for this additional hearing date and it is anticipated they will fill the room with doctors, that is unless others are there first and take all the seats. It is also anticipated that there will be a vote on the bills. With 7 committee members, 4 voting to discharge sends the bill to the Senate floor for a vote in September. If this gets to the Senate floor, it is likely to pass.
The goal of those opposing the bill is to turn out 500+ people. Prior turnout has been around 80-100. To cause the Senate members to “pause” the turnout will have to be huge.
Law firms have been encouraged to produce 40-50 people each and at least 2 potential witnesses each. “People” means just that. There will be signs, buttons and free T- shirts. People interested are encouraged to bring family, friends, clients or anyone of interest. This makes a difference as standing room only shouts out to the committee. The goal is to have at least 100 non-lawyers and witnesses inside the hearing room and 400 outside with signs, buttons and T-shirts. The “people” will not have to testify; they just need to show up.
Although the committee usually starts at 10 am, MSMS is encouraging their member to get there by 8:30 am – I would suggest that everyone who can attend to get there by 8 am, take a seat in the Senate Com room, and stay in it. For those who have not attended before, it will be in the Bojar Senate Bldg, 124 Allegan Street, directly across from the Capitol.
So this is my plea: If you are free and able, please consider coming next Wednesday, July 18th at 8 am to fight to protect patient’s rights in Michigan! I have tons more info on the Senate Bills if you are interested. Just email me at katie@lifeasazebra.com, and I will send it to you. Also, if you know you can come, will you please let me know so I can let the organizers know? Leave a comment, or email me!
Sorry if I used some incorrect “law lingo.” All of this can be confusing for a little ol’ Kindergarten teacher like me.
Okay, I will now return to staying away from politics on here 🙂
Thank you in advance!
~Katie