Is the “Right to Report” Sign Appropriate in a Physician’s Own Office?|

For Immediate Release
July 23, 2020

Is the “Right to Report” Sign Appropriate in a Physician’s Own Office?|

Statement Attributable to:
Bonnie Litvack, MD
President, Medical Society of the State of New York

“While the Medical Society of the State of New York does not object to expanding patient awareness of their rights to file complaints about a particular physician with the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC), we are very concerned with the distrust that will be fostered by legislation (A.7991-A/S.6678-A) that passed the State Legislature. This legislation would require every physician to post a conspicuous sign in their office how that patient can report a physician to the OPMC.

As patients can often be nervous when they arrive, physicians and their staffs are committed to ensuring that patients feel welcome and comfortable upon entering our offices. We are very concerned that reading about how they can file a complaint against that physician upon entering the office, particularly for the first time, will only increase their anxiety and create unnecessary confusion.

Physicians remain very much committed to ensuring a strong disciplinary process to remove those aberrant practitioners who betray the trust of their patients and their professional oaths. However, there is already ample information available through a basic internet search through an iPhone, tablet or PC regarding how a patient can file a complaint to the OPMC about a particular physician.

With this and other legislation also under consideration to eliminate liability protections for physicians (and others) responding to potential future pandemic surges, it is clear that many have forgotten that not along ago they thought of physicians as ‘heroes.’

We will be urging Governor Cuomo to veto this legislation.”

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About MSSNY

Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all. 

Press Contact:
Roseann Raia
Communications/Marketing
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Ave
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x302
rraia@mssny.org