Cleary, a $5.5 million-dollar cap on medical malpractice could cause us to lose providers to Texas, with its $250,000 cap. But missing those providers is just as likely causing more catastrophic malpractice that cannot be remedied short of a $5.5 million payout.
We can't just move our cap to $250,000 and hope to rebalance the marketplace on the backs of people who will be devastated and impoverished by mistakes that continue to be made while the system is understaffed. Not we shouldn't: we can't. NM plaintiffs attorneys are powerful because NM juries listen with compassion to stories of medical malpractice and legislators who fight to keep the status quo do well because NM voters don't want to be Texas.
But we can tie a cap to adequate staffing. Our state government is perfectly capable of figuring out what provider and staff time is required to serve our patients. We do just that in setting Medicaid reimbursement rates and we can do it better when the question affects everyone. What if fully staffed providers got a cap on liability? This holds the industry to its promise: give us a cap and we'll recruit more providers and give you better outcomes.
While this article is very interesting, it is important for the author to acknowlege that these are not soley her suggestions, but recommendations recently published by Think New Mexico, a New Mexico Think Tank: https://www.thinknewmexico.org/health-care-worker-shortage/. While we all agree that we need tangible solutions to the problems, re-iterating the same information isn't always useful.
Solutions involve more than just "health care". They relate to housing, transportation, education, safety and many other Social Deterimanents of Health. They also involve advocating and influencing legislation at the state level (i.e. Think New Mexico and other coalitions).
Los Alamos Social Services, Los Alamos County Health Council, Los Aamos County Law Enforcement and Los Alamos Medical Center, as well as county staff and local boards and commissions have been working on these issues for several years. Stay tuned as the Comprehensive Health Plan with Recommendations and and an Action Plan is presented to County Council on December 17.
I thank Dr. Bratton for her article and Boomtown for running it. I also appreciate that Dr. Bratton is among the few physicians who have written or spoken about public health or health system matters, In the six years I have been in LA, including during COVID. In addition, I welcome Dr. Bratton's referring to the excellent Think NM piece on NM's healthcare workforce. The governor and the legislature will shortly have a chance to show us if they are serious - or not - about improving healthcare in NM. As Dr. Bratton said, the healthcare workforce problem is amenbale to policy solutions, if the state is willing to adopt them.
I've changed all my Dr's, medical appointments and chose to go to TX for that. Easier to get appointments that fit your schedule, more choice which results in better medical options/care. Most doctors in LA are opinionated, arrogant and couldn't care less. I tried SF and whom wants to go to Abq? (Also not all Dr's and pharmacies accept all/most common medical insurance)
Cleary, a $5.5 million-dollar cap on medical malpractice could cause us to lose providers to Texas, with its $250,000 cap. But missing those providers is just as likely causing more catastrophic malpractice that cannot be remedied short of a $5.5 million payout.
We can't just move our cap to $250,000 and hope to rebalance the marketplace on the backs of people who will be devastated and impoverished by mistakes that continue to be made while the system is understaffed. Not we shouldn't: we can't. NM plaintiffs attorneys are powerful because NM juries listen with compassion to stories of medical malpractice and legislators who fight to keep the status quo do well because NM voters don't want to be Texas.
But we can tie a cap to adequate staffing. Our state government is perfectly capable of figuring out what provider and staff time is required to serve our patients. We do just that in setting Medicaid reimbursement rates and we can do it better when the question affects everyone. What if fully staffed providers got a cap on liability? This holds the industry to its promise: give us a cap and we'll recruit more providers and give you better outcomes.
While this article is very interesting, it is important for the author to acknowlege that these are not soley her suggestions, but recommendations recently published by Think New Mexico, a New Mexico Think Tank: https://www.thinknewmexico.org/health-care-worker-shortage/. While we all agree that we need tangible solutions to the problems, re-iterating the same information isn't always useful.
Solutions involve more than just "health care". They relate to housing, transportation, education, safety and many other Social Deterimanents of Health. They also involve advocating and influencing legislation at the state level (i.e. Think New Mexico and other coalitions).
Los Alamos Social Services, Los Alamos County Health Council, Los Aamos County Law Enforcement and Los Alamos Medical Center, as well as county staff and local boards and commissions have been working on these issues for several years. Stay tuned as the Comprehensive Health Plan with Recommendations and and an Action Plan is presented to County Council on December 17.
Lisa Hampton, Los Alamos Health Council
Dr. Bratton explicitly credited Think New Mexico in her piece and it is hyperlinked.
I thank Dr. Bratton for her article and Boomtown for running it. I also appreciate that Dr. Bratton is among the few physicians who have written or spoken about public health or health system matters, In the six years I have been in LA, including during COVID. In addition, I welcome Dr. Bratton's referring to the excellent Think NM piece on NM's healthcare workforce. The governor and the legislature will shortly have a chance to show us if they are serious - or not - about improving healthcare in NM. As Dr. Bratton said, the healthcare workforce problem is amenbale to policy solutions, if the state is willing to adopt them.
I've changed all my Dr's, medical appointments and chose to go to TX for that. Easier to get appointments that fit your schedule, more choice which results in better medical options/care. Most doctors in LA are opinionated, arrogant and couldn't care less. I tried SF and whom wants to go to Abq? (Also not all Dr's and pharmacies accept all/most common medical insurance)