At some time during their career, many New Jersey physicians can expect to have an encounter with the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners (NJBME). Understanding the scope, purpose and methods of the NJBME can prepare you for that possible interaction. Princeton Insurance physician policies provide coverage for legal fees for licensing board actions subject to the terms and conditions of their professional liability insurance policy. Policyholders asked to appear before the NJBME or notified of an inquiry should contact the Princeton Insurance claims department at (609) 452-9404 or their independent insurance agent before responding to the NJMBE in order that proper representation can be arranged. Several years ago, New Jersey medical malpractice defense attorney Michael Keating, Esq., wrote an informative article about the NJBME and how it works. [More]

One common reason for side-stepping careful planning and making hasty choices is that providers may have opted for EHRs solely to meet “Meaningful Use” criteria in order to meet deadlines and receive Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments. While getting the bonus payment is a great incentive, the real value of EHRs is their positive impact on the flow of work in your practice and in improving patient safety. [More]

Most physician practices have probably dealt with a lost patient chart from time to time. Whether misplaced while traveling between office locations, or out of the file system at the physician’s desk, the billing office, or the transcriptionist, a lost patient chart poses potential safety and legal consequences, as providers have to rely on their own or their patient’s memory for accurate medical histories and medication lists, all while addressing a current clinical situation. [More]

As a result of the recent outbreak of fungal meningitis cases, practitioners and patients across the nation have become aware of the risks inherent in purchasing drugs from vendors who are potentially unsafe. This meningitis outbreak has required significant time and effort on the part of physicians, facilities, and their staff members in tracking and treating the patients who were, or potentially could be, affected by these drugs. The purpose of this article is to address concerns about purchasing drugs from ‘unregulated’ sources. [More]

The recent outbreak of fungal meningitis in the United States and subsequent recall of potentially contaminated medications have created concerns about patient safety and liability among a number of Princeton Insurance policyholders. This update includes information about ophthalmic drugs that are injectable or used in conjunction with eye surgery and cardioplegic solutions. It also contains a sample letter that can be used to notify patients.
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Updated November 5, 2012
Accidents or unexpected disasters can result in extensive water damage to important documents such as medical records and X-ray films. In recent years, New Jersey has seen its share of flooding, including the most recent damage from Hurricane Sandy and subsequent storm surge. Broken water pipes or an overflowing floor drain can cause unexpected damage to stored medical records in a basement or storage room. Water damage can also be an unanticipated side effect of fire fighting efforts. [More]

The recent outbreak of fungal meningitis in the United States and subsequent recall of potentially contaminated medications have created concerns about patient safety and liability among a number of Princeton Insurance policyholders. This update includes information about ophthalmic drugs that are injectable or used in conjunction with eye surgery, and cardioplegic solutions. It also contains a sample letter that can be used to notify patients. [More]

The recent outbreak of fungal meningitis in the United States and subsequent recall of a contaminated steroid medication have created concerns about patient safety and liability among a number of Medical Protective’s insureds.
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