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Your Practice Made Perfect is a free podcast series where industry professionals discuss current issues and provide advice for today's practicing medical professionals. Our discussions cover everything from medical legislature to inspiring stories about addiction recovery. You won't want to miss an episode.

Episode Archive: Closed Claims

Episode 141: You MUST Be Present to WIN
Oct 20, 2023

Join us as we review a tragic and sympathetic case that goes to trial and ends in favor of the physician. Claims attorney J. Baugh outlines some of the obstacles that come with "hindsight bias", highlights the benefits of preparation and participation on the physician's part, and concludes with the concept that sometimes there is some "good luck" needed in the trial process.

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Episode 137: The Tale of Two Appendectomies
Jun 16, 2023

How does one end up having an appendectomy twice? Listen in as senior claims attorney J. Baugh unpacks the details of the case, explains the reasoning behind the two appendectomies, and highlights the most important takeaways from this closed claim review.

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Episode 126: Juries Get Good Medicine
Jun 17, 2022

In today's closed claim episode, host J. Baugh sits down with Stephanie Deupree, a senior claims attorney at SVMIC. This case entails complications with a 74-year-old female who underwent a robotic Nissen fundoplication with hiatal hernia repair. Together, J. and Stephanie take us through the details in which documentation was essential in order to secure a defense verdict in a very sympathetic case.

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Episode 120: When Country Tough Isn't Tough Enough
Dec 10, 2021

Host J. Baugh sits down with medical malpractice attorney Katy Smith to discuss a closed claim case with some valuable lessons surrounding a patient electing to undergo a weight loss surgery without the assistance of a sedative.

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Episode 117: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Sep 17, 2021

J. Baugh sits down with senior claims attorney Zynthia Howse to discuss a closed claim in which key information inadvertently left out of a routine medical records request ended in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

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Episode 115: Action Required
Jul 16, 2021

Senior claims attorney Zynthia Howse joins J. Baugh to discuss a closed claim where the ball was dropped in the follow-up of a suspicious x-ray, ultimately leading to disastrous results.

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Episode 113: Time Well Spent
May 14, 2021

J. Baugh sits down with SVMIC lawyer, Stephanie Deupree, to discuss a closed claim of a patient and her dispute over the consent of a hysterectomy.

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Episode 110: A Fact of Life
Feb 19, 2021

In this Closed Claim, Claims Attorneys Katy Smith and J. Baugh review the unfortunate tragedy of a woman’s stillborn child and the lengthy process it took to conclude the case.

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Episode 108: Adding Assumptions to the Wound
Dec 04, 2020

In this Closed Claim review, Claims Attorneys Katy Smith and J. Baugh discuss the dangers of assumptions when it comes to practicing medicine and diagnosing a case involving abdominal gynecologic surgery.

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Episode 102: Hazardous Office Protocols
Sep 11, 2020

Katy Smith joins J. Baugh once again to discuss a closed claim involving poor office systems and protocols. They discuss the importance of implementing organized and effective office systems, and also why tracking office procedures could save you both time and trouble.

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Episode 098: Left To Their Own Devices
Jul 10, 2020

In this closed claim review, Katy Smith and J. Baugh of SVMIC dive into a case with multiple defendants regarding the proper use of medical devices in the operating room.

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Episode 092: Communication is in the Eye of the Beholder
Apr 10, 2020

Katy Smith and J. Baugh explore another closed claim. A 33-year-old woman with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt reported symptoms including blurred vision and headaches. After she underwent surgery, her vision continued to worsen until she was almost blind in one eye.

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Episode 085: Not Everything Is As It Seems
Dec 13, 2019

Brian Fortenberry sits down with Katy Smith and J. Baugh to dive into another closed claim. A 23-year-old male came in complaining of mysterious pain and was treated for a sprained ankle. Months later he suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.

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Episode 083: Crucial Communication
Nov 29, 2019

SVMIC Attorneys J. Baugh and Katy Smith take a look at another closed claim in which a lack of communication led to a patient diagnosed with severe sleep apnea being given an excessive dosage of pain medication.

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Episode 081: That’s Not My Job
Nov 01, 2019

J. Baugh sits down with Katy Smith to take a close look at a closed claim of an ER Physician who was asked to re-intubate a patient. The physician, trying to follow protocol, refused and the patient died shortly after.

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Episode 079: Missteps in Medical Records
Oct 11, 2019

Katy Smith joins J. Baugh to discuss three separate cases where critical oversights in patients’ medical records led to severe consequences, both physical and legal.

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Episode 077: In Due Time
Sep 27, 2019

Attorneys J. Baugh and Katy Smith join Brian for another review of a closed claim that took ten years to go to trial. A 55-year-old gentleman jumped off his truck injuring his knee and ankle, resulting in pain and foot drop.

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Episode 076: Back to the Heart of the Matter
Sep 13, 2019

Brian Fortenberry sits down with J. Baugh and Katy Smith again to review a case of a 73-year-old with increasing back pain and a history of heart issues who wasn’t notified in time to catch a fatal heart attack.

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Episode 071: The Case of the Right Knee
Aug 02, 2019

J. Baugh and Katy Smith, Senior Claims Attorneys at SVMIC, sit down with Brian Fortenberry to review a malpractice case where a patient had the wrong knee operated on to repair a meniscus tear. They discuss the immediate discovery and the events that followed as a result of a wrong-site surgery.

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Episode 070: Failure to Follow Up
Jul 26, 2019

Attorney John Ryman takes Brian Fortenberry through a closed claim case of a 72-year-old male who died two years after a primary care visit. When it was discovered that the doctor failed to follow up on a recommended CT evaluation, the patient’s estate filed a lawsuit.

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Episode 066: Microperforations, Macro Problems
Jun 21, 2019

Katy Smith and J. Baugh join Brian Fortenberry this week to look at a closed claim case involving a 42-year-old John Doe with a 4+ year history of acute diverticulitis. The two discuss the patient’s trip to the ER and how a CT misreading led to the patient’s untimely death.

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Episode 062: When Small Concerns Become Big Problems
May 17, 2019

What started as a routine visit for diabetic medication turned into a case of gangrene and a lawsuit. In this closed claim case, Brian Fortenberry, Katy Smith, and J. Baugh remind us that communication and documentation are two of the most important tools for both physicians and patients.

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Episode 059: A Recipe for Disaster
Apr 26, 2019

Katy Smith joins J. Baugh for another closed claim case. The two discuss a practice known in the industry as “cookbook medicine” and how this practice led to a patient’s death and a lawsuit.

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Episode 052: The Dangers of Miscommunication
Mar 01, 2019

Brian Fortenberry explores the closed claim case of a patient who, through miscommunication on various levels, died from a dosage error. Licensed CPA and attorney J. Baugh joins to discuss where the fault may lie and how to avoid issues like this in the future.

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Episode 047: The Case of Good Medicine, Management, and Documentation
Jan 11, 2019

In this closed claim case, a woman with a family history of breast cancer was closely monitored for 6 years. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, the patient filed a lawsuit against her general surgeon. She alleged that her cancer should have been diagnosed at least eight months sooner. Learn how, in this case, it proves that even if all the right steps are taken, one is never immune to a lawsuit.

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Episode 042: The Case of Late Expectations
Nov 16, 2018

When pregnant Megan was admitted to the hospital with pain at 32 weeks, the staff failed to recognize fetal distress. This resulted in a C-section performed three hours too late and the infant suffering from severe neurological damage. Brian Fortenberry and attorney Alisa Wamble discuss this closed claim case and how tunnel vision created this sad situation.

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Episode 039: From Witness to Defendant
Oct 26, 2018

Dan Himmelberg, SVMIC Assistant Vice President of Claims, and Brian Fortenberry discuss a closed claim in which a patient suffered an aneurysm after having an appendectomy. The patient's surgeon, who had been an expert witness in other cases, was taken to court himself, where he defended his care of the patient during over 8 years of legal proceedings.

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Episode 038: Doing It Right and Getting It Wrong
Oct 19, 2018

In this closed claim review, a hike up a steep ravine sent William to the hospital with a “weird feeling” in his back. After his symptoms subsided and he was discharged, he passed away of an aortic dissection. Host Brian Fortenberry and SVMIC attorney Judy Reneau discuss the doctor’s defense and how William's symptoms did not lead to the underlying problem.

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Episode 035: Fear Factor
Sep 28, 2018

Host Brian Fortenberry and attorney Jamie Wyatt discuss a closed claim case in which everyone in an operating room, except for the surgeon, was sued due to the complications experienced by the patient post-surgery. They explore this "no talking policy" implemented by the surgeon, and how it created a hostile work environment and a very adverse outcome.

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Episode 034: The Impact of Preconceived Notions
Sep 21, 2018

Attorney Tim Behan and Brian Fortenberry discuss how the depersonalization and dissociation from a well-known patient can help provide more effective treatment. In this closed claim review, a 40-year-old woman with drug-seeking behavior is left with neurological damage due to assumptions made about her condition.

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Episode 031: The Case of the Black Box Warning
Aug 31, 2018

In this closed claim case, attorney Stephanie Deupree and host Brian Fortenberry examine a very tragic outcome that began with a man's fall from a six-foot ladder while trying to complete a home improvement project. A medication unfamiliar to the physicians prescribed for pain relief resulted in the man's death.

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Episode 028: Don’t Leave the Rest Unwritten
Aug 10, 2018

In this closed claim review, Ken Rucker, Vice President of Claims for SVMIC, and host Brian Fortenberry discuss how easy it is to let the daily workload negatively impact the quality of medical documentation. Details forgotten can be hard to defend, especially when Dr. Andrew’s early discharge led to a patient's death one week later.

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Episode 026: Care Off the Record
Jul 27, 2018

Brian Fortenberry details and discusses a closed claim case with Claims Attorney, Zynthia Howse. Together, they review the fallout from a female infant’s routine “Well Baby” visit after the care providers failed to administer a vaccination and did not accurately document it in the medical charts.

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Episode 021: The Case of Cascading Conditions
Jun 22, 2018

This week, we review a closed case against a doctor who failed to give a timely diagnosis and treat Mary’s retroperitoneal hemorrhage following a cardiac catheterization. This led to a series of unfortunate medical complications. Senior Claims Attorney Tim Rector talks about this complicated case with Brian Fortenberry.

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Episode 016: The Case of Nothing Noted
May 18, 2018

SVMIC Claims Attorney, J. Baugh discusses Eliza James’ malpractice case with Brian Fortenberry. Baugh thoroughly reviews the complete lack of continuity of care, including the multiple mistakes made by her providers, errors with her medical charts and labs, and overall poor communication with the staff which ultimately led to her death.

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Episode 013: The Case of Reduction Results
Apr 27, 2018

This week, we review a closed claim case involving 18-year-old Samantha Smith who suffered complications from a breast reduction surgery. SVMIC Vice President of Claims, Ken Rucker, walks us through the ins-and-outs of Samantha's multiple procedures and the resulting deformities from infection.

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Episode 010: The Case of Time Ticking Away
Apr 06, 2018

Host Brian Fortenberry chats with SVMIC attorney Katy Smith about the closed claim where a toddler receives treatment due to a tick bite. Together, they review the communication issues between physicians, the lack of continuity in care, and the misdiagnosis that led to the patient dying from a related infection.

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Episode 009: The Case of Running Back Rundown
Mar 30, 2018

In this week’s episode, host Brian Fortenberry interviews former nurse and current malpractice attorney, Stephanie Deupree about a closed claim case. Ms. Deupree details the medical treatment and experience of a 16 year old football player who had their leg amputated after a severe injury on the field.

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Episode 008: Blame Boomerangs Back
Mar 23, 2018

Brian Fortenberry chats with SVMIC Attorney Jim Howell about another Closed Claim Case. They discuss the liabilities and the details of a bowel perforation that was initially missed in the doctor-ordered CT scans and led to the patient’s death.

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Episode 001: The Case of the Cancelled Appointment
Feb 01, 2018

Brian Fortenberry details the Henry Jackson case and discusses with Claims Attorney, J. Baugh. Together, they review Mr. Jackson’s sinus issues and the mishandling of his care through a faulty appointment tracking system with his ENT.

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