SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With more than 35 percent of Americans suffering from obesity, which was declared a disease by the American Medical Association in 2013, experts believe bariatric surgery programs will continue to mature and evolve to meet the need for treatment and intervention. This predicted growth in bariatric surgeries will necessitate a continued emphasis on safety and liability risk mitigation by bariatric surgeons.
In response to this demand, The MGIS Companies and Stevens & Lee have launched Surgi-Protect, the nation’s only malpractice insurance program designed specifically for bariatric surgeons and their unique practices.
“Bariatric surgeons don’t need a one-size-fits-all approach to insurance,” says Jeff Brunken, President of MGIS. “They need an insurance program built by physicians and industry experts who understand their needs, risks and the realities of today’s marketplace. Surgi-Protect rewards top performing surgeons with the best specialized coverage at the best price, helps them better manage their liability, and provides new strategies and programs to reduce risk and further improve patient outcomes.”
As a key component of the insurance program, Surgi-Protect includes an advanced and highly specialized safety and risk management program which focuses on the patient experience, patient engagement principles, quality improvement protocols, and clinical best practices.
“Data clearly shows that patient satisfaction and clinical best practices effectively enhance surgical outcomes and reduce medical malpractice claims,” says Jim Saxton, Chair of Stevens & Lee’s Healthcare Litigation and Risk Management Group. “Surgi-Protect provides a unique opportunity for bariatric and general surgeons to receive the risk and safety support they need to prevent lawsuits, all while receiving very stable insurance from one of the country’s largest insurers.”
Leading clinicians have lent their expertise to the program. Dr. Phil Schauer, President of SE Healthcare Quality Consulting, a partner company of Stevens & Lee, and Director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at The Cleveland Clinic states, “I am very pleased to see a medical professional liability insurer that is focused specifically on the needs of bariatric and general surgeons, particularly in today’s post-ACA environment. SE is looking forward to supporting Surgi-Protect surgeons and their practices in their safety and quality efforts.”
MGIS’ medical-professional liability insurance policies are backed by Freedom Specialty Insurance Company, a Nationwide® Company, rated A+ (Superior) by A.M.
About MGIS
The MGIS Companies, Inc. helps brokers, practice managers and other healthcare professionals create effective and targeted malpractice and disability insurance programs for physicians and medical professionals. For 45 years, the company has provided specialized group disability insurance, medical-professional liability insurance, and practice improvement ancillary products and services to more than 10,000 physician groups, 900,000 group members, and 300,000 physicians nationwide. The MGIS group disability policies are backed by Sun Life Financial®, one of the largest and highest-rated insurance companies in North America. The MGIS medical-professional liability insurance policies are backed by Freedom Specialty Insurance Company, a Nationwide® Company, rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best. For more information visit our website www.mgis.com.
About Stevens & Lee
Among the 200 largest law firms in the nation, Stevens & Lee is part of Stevens & Lee/Griffin, an industry-focused, multidisciplinary professional services platform which, in addition to the law firm, includes a national health care risk consulting business. In combination with partner company SE Healthcare Quality Consulting, a national quality and safety company focused on surgical specialties, including general and bariatric surgery, our healthcare team provides clients with multidisciplinary expertise to enhance patient safety, quality of care, and practice economics. Our team also includes over a dozen seasoned trial lawyers, some of whom have over 25 years of noteworthy litigation defense experience, in addition to experienced clinical consultants who are embedded into our defense teams. For more information, visit www.stevenslee.com or www.sehqc.com.
