Medical malpractice is not an uncommon event. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University conducted a comprehensive eight-year study of medical errors in the U.S. and found that, on average, more than 250,000 people die in the U.S. because of medical mistakes each year. This makes medical malpractice the second leading cause of death in the United States, behind cancer and before chronic respiratory disease. The most common medical malpractice claims include misdiagnosis, birth injuries, medication errors,...

Avoiding misdiagnosis is a moral, professional, and public health imperative, according to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine. However, estimates vary significantly regarding the full scope of harms related to medical misdiagnosis scenarios. The Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence estimates that: 12 million Americans are affected each year by misdiagnosis situations, and perhaps one-third are harmed as a result. Misdiagnosis errors may account for 40,000 to 80,000 preventable deaths annually in U.S....

Congratulations to HPS Partner and Co-founder Eugene Pettis, who will be receiving a Friends of the Court Award, by the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida, at the 2025 Judicial Procession and State of the Circuit Ceremony, on January 24, 2025. The Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida is the court for Broward County, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It is the second largest circuit court in the state of Florida.

Congratulations to HPS Co-Founder Eugene K. Pettis, who will be the recipient of the 2025 YMCA South Florida’s Spirit of Community Award for Broward County on January 17, 2025. This award honors those within the community that “exemplify the social activism, advocacy, nonviolence, civic engagement and diversity ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”  Read all about the YMCA of South Florida’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Inspirational Celebrations schedule of events here: https://www.citybiz.co/article/643771/ymca-of-south-floridas-21st-annual-martin-luther-king-jr-inspirational-celebrations-set-for-january-16-20/

Congratulations to Kenneth J. Miller on being appointed by the Supreme Court of Florida as a member of the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases. This membership is for an initial three-year term that begins in January 2025 and expires in December of 2027. In accordance with Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.270, the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases is responsible for preparing standard jury...

Emergency room staff are well prepared to deal with almost any emergency room problem that comes their way. They protect their patients while engaging in demanding work.  Unfortunately, each year in the United States, 7.4 million ER patients are misdiagnosed, resulting in 2.6 million patients experiencing preventable harm, and 370,000 patients suffering permanent disability or wrongful death, according to a 2023 report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Five conditions – stroke,...

When you go to the doctor’s office for a medical procedure or to a medical clinic or hospital for surgery, you just assume that things will go well. Doctors are generally well-trained in the United States and, in most cases, well-prepared to diagnose your condition and provide you with the proper treatment you need. But sometimes, things don’t go as planned, and medical malpractice is involved. In fact, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts believe that...

The Florida legislature passed a package of comprehensive healthcare and workforce reforms during the 2024 legislation session. Known as the “Live Healthy” Act, this series of laws carries a cost of more than $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2024-25 to grow the healthcare workforce, remove regulations, protect patients, and enhance access to healthcare among marginalized groups. The bills included in this package are: SB 7016 – The bill aims to grow Florida’s healthcare workforce by...