Virginia Malpractice News » birth injury http://virginia-medical-malpractice.com Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:29:03 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Two Doctors’ Reprimands by Medical Board Were the First in 20 Years http://virginia-medical-malpractice.com/two-doctors%e2%80%99-reprimands-by-medical-board-were-the-first-in-20-years/ http://virginia-medical-malpractice.com/two-doctors%e2%80%99-reprimands-by-medical-board-were-the-first-in-20-years/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:19:47 +0000 Mindy Weinstein http://virginia-medical-malpractice.com/?p=107 When a doctor receives a formal reprimand by the medical board, it goes on his or her permanent record.  It will also appear on the doctor’s public profile on the Virginia Board of Medicine’s website.  Although there is no monetary penalty from a reprimand, you can see why a doctor will want to avoid it.

Last November, two doctors who had gained immunity from a lawsuit involving catastrophic birth injuries were administratively punished by the Virginia Board of Medicine.  This situation was the first in 20 years.

Dr. Evelyn Anna Ruelaz of Fairfax County and Dr. Regina Burton of Woodbridge, both received formal reprimands for births that led to lifelong personal injuries to infants during the delivery.  Lee Ann Hershberger told the medical board panel that her son will never be able to care for himself.  Her son’s heart rate slowed and oxygen was shut off to him in utero while she was left unattended for long periods of time by Ruelaz.

These penalties by the medical board showed that birth injury cases were being more heavily scrutinized.  In 2003, changes were made that lowered the threshold for punishment in these types of cases.  Two hundred and nine sanctions were issued in 2006 by the Virginia Board of Medicine among the 34,813 individuals who hold Virginia medical licenses.  Until the two cases in 2008, there had never been reprimands for birth-related cases.

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