Declarations
Kneed in Rhode Island
“We will work to remedy the issues that have been raised.”
—Spokeswoman Linda Shelton of Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, commenting on a surgical team that performed arthroscopy on the wrong knee of a patient last month. The Rhode Island Health Department found the surgeon failed to visually verify which knee required the procedure; the hospital signed a consent agreement calling for it to use unwashable-ink pens to mark surgery sites. The Miriam Hospital is part of Lifespan, a medical network that was reprimanded and fined $50,000 last year for three mistaken surgeries at another facility.
Workers’ Reform in New Jersey
“We’re taking steps to make a cost effective and efficient system even better so that injured workers receive the compensation they deserve.”
—New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, after signing a package of five bills lawmakers hope will strengthen the state’s workers’ compensation system. The reform package includes measures such as boosting public representation on the board that sets premiums and granting enhanced authority for judges of compensation to enforce their decisions.
Appealing in Massachusetts
“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
—Frank Mancini, president of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents, commenting on whether the Bay State will eliminate the procedure that allows drivers to appeal insurance surcharges. Commissioner Nonnie Burnes is weighing whether changes to the state’s auto insurance system made earlier this year nullify the appeals procedure.
Frank Discussions
“We were the EMTs rushing to the rescue of an economy that suddenly found itself choking, but now we have to perform more serious reform.”
—Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, commenting on the numerous bailout packages for both AIG and rest of the economy. Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, predicted that next year, Congress will take up reform efforts of the housing and financial services industry that he likened to the New Deal.
Not on My Watch
“I was not there, so I cannot answer that question with precision. But reports indicate that the risk controls my team and I put in place were weakened or eliminated after my retirement.”
—Former AIG CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg, responding to Congressional questions about how the company’s overexposure to the subprime market came about. AIG has now borrowed more than $122 billion from the federal government. Greenberg, who was forced out as CEO in 2005, said the exposure to the subprime market came as a result of business conducted after he left the company.