Ensure Patient Safety—and Minimize Liability Risk—in Every Encounter

A situation brewing in Nebraska should serve as a cautionary tale for ensuring patients are safe at all times—and minimizing liability risk for all urgent care operators. A physician in Lincoln, NE has been accused of carrying out unnecessary, invasive physical exams of a female recruit to the Nebraska State Patrol. A state senator there plans to submit a formal complaint to state regulators and medical associations against the provider, after a female trooper filed a lawsuit against that doctor and against the State Patrol. The prospective trooper says the male physician conducting a pre-employment physical instructed her to remove her clothing and show her genitals in a way the woman found suspect. While the outcome of the case remains to be seen, the episode demonstrates the importance of ensuring that patients feel safe at all times. Male providers would be wise to have a female staff member present for all closed-door encounters with female patients—both to ensure the patient’s peace of mind but also to bear witness, should the patient charge that the provider behaved inappropriately.