Press Releases

for press releases in past years, see the Archives

Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services Honors Jeff Brown

Representative Jeff Brown and Senator Sam Zamarripa Join GBPI's Board of Directors

EVERYBODY LOST

March 15, 2007

The Saturday, March 10, 2007 LaGrange Daily News announced that a jury had ruled in favor of Clark Holder Clinic and neurologist J. Connor Smith, MD. While it would appear Dr. Smith won, there are many losers including Dr. Smith. He must have gone through tremendous anxiety.

Mr. Cook, who was the plaintiff, obviously lost. Also, he had the embarrassment of the public disclosure of his Erectile Dysfunction. By the way, why are we the taxpayers of Troup County paying for this type of surgery? (Mr. Cook was a county employee) Many Insurance plans do not pay for this. Another loser was his wife who lost her position at Clark Holder Clinic in addition to the embarrassment just referenced.

Those of us who use Clark Holder Clinic obviously lost. While their malpractice insurance pays for their attorney insurance companies are in business to make a profit so all of that is reflected in premiums. This in turn is passed onto those of us who pay for part or all of our medical bill either directly or as taxpayers for public employees and those on PeachCare, Veterans Administration, Medicaid and/or Medicare. We pay an even higher amount for all the unnecessary tests and procedures doctors order in case of a lawsuit.

Those people with urology problems didn’t have access to Dr. Smith, who happens to be the only Urologist in Troup County, while he was tied up in a courtroom most of last week. Interestingly, there used to be four Urologists in this area. Part of this is caused by doctors retiring early because they have had it with lawsuits, the government increasingly decreasing the amount they reimburse providers, insurance company hassles, etc.

The two lawyers representing Mr. Cook lost, but don’t feel too sorry because they will quickly go to other medical malpractice suits and win their share of them. I suspect if we looked at their tax returns, both are millionaires. Remember, plaintiff lawyers get approximately 40% of the total settlement plus all costs.

I sympathize with the juries in these trials. They are not medical experts, but they must decide on complex medical issues. I hope this doesn’t shock you but much of medicine is gray and doctors practice differently. I have been told that the jury came out at one point and wanted to know what the standard of care is. The answer from the Judge was that it is something that they must decide. Creating further confusion is that both sides had their “paid experts” who had very different “facts”. Lawyers understand all of this and unfortunately some concentrate on theatrics and stretch the truth.

The views in this article are mine, I am beholden to no one for this article, wrote it entirely and I am not a lawyer. I do this because I am very concerned about healthcare.

I believe that there are better ways. While a legislator we took steps in that direction with Tort Reform where we limited non-economic damages to $350,000 which helps get away from this “Lottery Mentality” that motivates some plaintiffs and for that matter some plaintiffs’ lawyers. This raises the question of how the Cooks could sue for $1,000,000 for their claim of loss of consortium, because it is clearly listed as a category of non-economic damages with a cap of $350,000.

As an aside, I heard of a survey of high school students asking how they plan to become rich. The primary responses were: winning the lottery, winning a lawsuit or inheriting it. Sad comment.

Tort Reform also needs to be passed by Congress. It could additionally consist of: Panel Review whereby a plaintiff would take his/her case to a panel of experts, loser pays, limiting lawyer fees, frivolous lawsuits being counter sued, etc.

I support the ability of a person to seek a formulated award such as is done in Workmens’ Compensation when an unfortunate outcome is the result but it is not the doctor’s fault. Certainly when there is negligence or malfeasance, the effected person should have recourse. Also, when we find a bad provider in addition to compensating the effected party, this provider should be removed.

Medical lawsuits are part of a larger problem that is driven by the lottery mentality I referenced earlier and the highest ratio of lawyers to population of any country. We are a nation founded on the Rule of Law. Fortunately, we have lawyers to help make this a reality. While law is a noble profession in my opinion, we somehow need to address this ratio of lawyers to population. Think for a moment what would happen if 25% of them were instead doctors.

If you agree with any of this I suggest that you let your State and Federal elected officials know. If you disagree, let’s start a dialogue because this is something where we need to have a lot more input. The fact of life is, we are on a disastrous track of losing hospitals and doctors such that your very life could be jeopardized down the road. Malpractice lawsuits are a significant contributing factor. No one has all the answers but collectively we can solve this.

Jeff Brown served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1994 to 2006 when he decided not to seek reelection. During that entire time he served on the Health and Human Resources Committee and for 10 years on the Human Relations and Aging Committee where he chaired a subcommittee on Prescription Drugs for Low Income Seniors. Once the Republicans became the majority party he chaired Health Appropriations. He won numerous awards from diverse groups within healthcare.

GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (GAEMS) HONORS JEFF BROWN

October 17, 2006

LA GRANGE, GA: Representative Jeff Brown was recently honored by the Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services (GAEMS), a statewide association representing over 14,000 EMS professionals in Georgia. Representative Jeff Brown was presented with the GAEMS Star of Life Legislative Award, which recognizes him as one of a select few honored as the association’s legislators of the year for the 2006 Legislative Session.

“This is the inaugural year for the GAEMS Star of Life Legislative Award and we are proud to have Representative Brown as one of the first recipients,” said GAEMS Chairman Courtney Terwilliger. “Representative Brown took the time to listen and learn about the EMS community and industry and is quite familiar with the challenges that our profession faces in Georgia,” continued Terwilliger. “He was and continues to be a tremendous advocate for EMS professionals. He was selected for this honor for his dedication to sponsoring, speaking in favor of and voting for key issues for EMS Professionals that our association identified in the 2005-06 Legislative Agendas.”

“GAEMS recognized Brown and the other inaugural members for their understanding and appreciation for the lifesaving contributions our EMTs and Paramedics make in their communities, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Terwilliger. “EMTs in Georgia regularly put their lives on the line for people they do not know and are not likely to ever see again. They do it out of dedication, out of compassion, and out of a sincere commitment to make a difference in the communities they serve.”

The Award is named for the EMS Symbol, which is a blue, six-pointed star with the Rod of Asclepius in the center. Each of the bars of the blue Star of Life represents the six system functions of emergency medical services: detection, reporting, response, on scene care, care in transit and transfer to definitive care.

The Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services is a state-wide organization consisting of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), Paramedics, EMS Administrators, EMS Educators, EMS Medical Directors and other associates from across the State that are passionate about delivering quality Emergency Medical Services. www.ga-ems.com

Press Release published by the Georgia Association of Emergency Medical Services

Representative Jeff Brown and Senator Sam Zamarripa

Join GBPI's Board of Directors

October 2, 2006

The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) is pleased to announce that the Honorable Jeff Brown (R) and the Honorable Sam Zamarripa (D) have joined the GBPI Board of Directors. Representative Brown and Senator Zamarripa had announced that they will not be running for re-election and will be leaving the Georgia General Assembly at the end of the year.

Representative Brown has served Georgia House District 69, which includes parts of Carroll, Heard, and Troup Counties, since 1994. Since 2005 he has served as Vice-Chair of the Health Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, and also on the committees for Health and Human Services, Ways and Means, and Rules. A resident of LaGrange, Representative Brown is President of Comprehensive Search, an employment and HR services company. Brown is a member of the Rotary International and has been appointed as a member of the LaGrange Industrial Development Authority, Hi Tech Task Force, West Point Lake Advisory Committee and West Georgia Technical College Foundation.

Senator Zamarripa has served Georgia Senate District 36, which includes parts of Fulton County, since 2002. Senator Zamarripa has served on the Senate Economic Development, Insurance and Labor, Science and Technology, and Transportation Committees. A resident of Atlanta, Senator Zamarripa is Managing Partner of Heritage Capitol Advisors, which provides investment banking services. He is Co-Founder and Director of United Americas Bank, N.A. and serves on the on the corporate boards of Assurance America Corporation, and Diaz Foods, Incorporated. Zamarripa is also an advisory director of the Atlanta Medical Center and holds board positions with the Atlanta College of Art, and Atlanta Public Television. He is also Founder and Chairman of the Georgia China Future, and Founder and Chairman of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.

“The election of distinguished public servants such as State Senator Zamarippa and State Representative Brown to the Board represents a confirmation of GBPI’s excellence in its efforts to promote effective government and sound public policy,” said Board President Jeffrey Martin. “It also illustrates how deeply we value the Institute’s non-partisan position.”

GBPI Executive Director Alan Essig agrees. “The experience, perspective, balance and integrity both these men possess will be valuable assets to GBPI as we continue to examine some of Georgia’s most important fiscal and public policy challenges,” he said.

Alan Essig, executive director of GBPI, is available to answer questions and can be reached at 404-420-1324 (office) or 770-402-4630 (cell)

All of GBPI’s research reports are available on its web site at www.gbpi.org.

ABOUT GBPI

The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) is the state’s leading independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization engaged in research and education on the fiscal and economic health of the state of Georgia. The Institute provides reliable and timely analysis of Georgia’s budget and tax policies and promotes greater state government fiscal accountability, improved services and enhanced quality of life for all Georgians.

Press Release published by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute