North Carolina Medical Board takes a Great Step towards Safety and Choice.
December 24, 2009
In an unusual move towards openness, the North Carolina Medical Board recently decided that doctors should be required to tell their patients of their practice history. North Carolina has been criticized over the past few years for failing to protect its residents from habitually negligent doctors. The Board now requires its 35,000 physicians practicing or licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina to submit medical malpractice claims as well as criminal activity for publication. Consumers can go to www.ncmedboard.org and view malpractice payments, misdemeanor and felony convictions, hospital suspensions and even discipline by medical boards in other states. While a national database of malpractice payments has long existed, the public in general has not had access to the information stored there.
This new website is an extremely helpful tool for patients looking for a new doctor and also for those waiting to check the repot card, in a sense, of his/her current doctor. Careless doctors, at least in North Carolina, now have to take responsibility for their actions.
As St. Louis medical malpractice and injury lawyers, we believe that each state should have a law similar to this. You can learn more about our firm at http://farrislaw.net. You can also contact The S.E. Farris Law Firm for a Free consultation. You may reach us at 314-A-LAWYER (314.252.9937) or by clicking here.
Have a Safe Holiday Season! Ten Tips.
December 18, 2009
As the holiday season approaches, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges us to be safe when holiday decorating. Simple safety steps can go a long way in preventing fires and injuries this time of year.
Annually, during the two months surrounding the holiday season, more than 14,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to injuries related to holiday decorating. In addition, Christmas trees are involved in hundreds of fires annually resulting in an average of 15 deaths and $13 million in property damage. Candle-related fires lead the list of hazards averaging more than 12,000 a year, resulting in 150 deaths and $393 million in property damage.
“Holiday decorating-related fires and injuries most often involve defective holiday lights, unattended candles and dried-out Christmas trees,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “We are providing this list of 10 simple safety steps to help keep your holiday home safe.”
Use the following ten safety tips when decorating this year:
Trees and Decorations
- When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label “Fire Resistant.” Although this label does not mean the tree won’t catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to catching fire.
- When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
- When setting up a tree at home, place it away from heat sources such as fireplaces, vents, and radiators. Because heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly, monitor water levels and keep the reservoir stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic, and do not block doorways
- In homes with small children, take special care to avoid sharp, weighted or breakable decorations, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale small pieces, and avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a child to eat them.
Lights
- Indoors or outside, only use lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA.
- Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets. Electric lights should never be placed on a metallic tree.
- If using an extension cord, make sure it is rated for the intended use and not frayed or broken.
- When using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure the lights have been certified for outdoor use and only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacle or a portable GFCI.
Candles
- Keep burning candles within sight. Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room or leave the house.
- Keep lighted candles away from items that can catch fire and burn easily, such as trees, decorations, curtains and furniture.