Patient Safety
These families’ stories of harm in the health care system inspire Consumer Watchdog’s work to improve patient safety, help injured patients get justice and hold those who commit medical malpractice accountable.Meet the families fighting for injured patients.
HOW MALPRACTICE CAPS TAKE AWAY PATIENT RIGHTS
In 1975, California politicians capped compensation for patients injured by medical negligence at $250,000. Forty-five years after it was enacted, the cap has never been adjusted for inflation. It is worth less than $50,000 today. The cap prevents many patients from ever getting justice, and deepens the racial inequalities in the health care system, disproportionately harming low income patients, communities of color, women and children. More about caps.
FAIRNESS FOR INJURED PATIENTS ON THE BALLOT
The families of children permanently harmed by medical negligence have qualified the Fairness for Injured Patients Act (FIPA) initiative for the November 2022 California ballot. Learn more and sign up to support the measure to update the cap and restore patients’ access to justice.
HOLDING MEDICAL PROVIDERS ACCOUNTABLE
The Medical Board of California is responsible for regulating doctors in the state of California. Their mandate is patient protection. Yet, for four decades, the Board has failed to protect patients, allowing negligent doctors who repeatedly harm or even kill their patients to continue practicing with impunity. Learn more about Consumer Watchdog’s fights in the legislature and at the Medical Board to hold doctors accountable and make patients safe.
PATIENT RIGHT TO KNOW
California became the first state in the nation to require doctors to disclose before a patient’s appointment if they are on probation for sexual assault or other serious misconduct. The law was blocked by the medical lobby until the MeToo movement helped ensure the voices of survivors of physician sexual assault were heard. Read about the victory for patient safety.
OPIOID OVERPRESCRIBING
A seven-year battle by a father who lost his young children to reckless overprescribing culminated in a mandate for California doctors to review a patient’s prescription history before prescribing opioids and other dangerous narcotics.
Black Lives Matter On Medical Care
By Andrew Sheeler, SACRAMENTO BEE
February 15, 2021
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article24…
MARCH FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND MALPRACTICE REFORM
Marchers Call For Systemic Reform After Young Black Father-To-Be Dies Following Some 8 Hours In Manteca ER
By Scott Linesburgh, THE STOCKTON RECORD
February 13, 2021
https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/local/2021/02/13/this-shouldnt-hav…
MANTECA – Sharon Washington-Barnes led a group of more than 40 people on a 1.5-mile march through southwest Manteca, visiting each of the medical facilities they felt failed her late brother, Shawn Washington II.
‘We Will Not Rest’: March For Justice As Alleged Medical Negligence Case In Manteca Continues
By Laura S. Diaz, THE STOCKTON RECORD
February 12, 2021
https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/local/2021/02/12/manteca-march-see…
MANTECA — Shawn Washington III was coughing up blood and having difficulty breathing when he sought help at the Kaiser Permanente emergency room in Manteca at about 1 a.m. on April 26, 2019. Less than 7½ hours later, he was pronounced dead.
Racial Justice Groups Endorse Fairness Act to Reform Medical Negligence Law, Call on Governor Newsom and Legislature to Act
Manteca, CA -- A coalition of Central Valley racial justice groups announced their endorsement of the Fairness for Injured Patients Act, the 2022 ballot initiative to update California’s discriminatory cap on compensation for patients harmed by medical negligence.
History of Positions Undermining Patient Safety Disqualify Former Leaders of Doctors’ Lobby For Seats on CA Medical Board, Patients Harmed by Medical Negligence to Testify
Sacramento, CA – Two former leaders of the California Medical Association should be rejected as nominees to the Medical Board of California for their records opposing common sense patient safety reforms, Consumer Watchdog will testify at their confirmation hearing today.
The Senate Rules Committee hearing begins at 1:30PM and can be viewed on Senate TV at: https://www.senate.ca.gov/
Consumer Watchdog Calls on Gov. Newsom to Withdraw Nomination of Dr. Richard Thorp, Former Head of the Doctors’ Lobby, to Board Charged with Protecting Patient Safety
Sacramento, CA – Consumer Watchdog renewed its call for Governor Gavin Newsom to withdraw the nomination of Dr. Richard Thorp, former president of the doctors’ lobby, to the Medical Board of California.
Gov Dined Unmasked With Head of Doctors Lobby And Lobbyist At French Laundry
Los Angeles, CA -- Charles Johnson, husband of a black woman who died in childbirth and a patients’ rights leader, was terribly disappointed at pictures showing Governor Gavin Newsom at the infamous
