President
Ian A. Hodgdon, MD
LSU Health New Orleans
School of Medicinea

Vice-President
Juan Salgado-Morales, MD
Universida Central Del Cari

Secretary-Treasurer
Ceana Nezhat, MD
Nezhat Medical Center

Immediate Past President
Sharona Ross, MD
Florida Hospital Tampa

Chairman / Executive Director / Scientific Chair
Raymond J. Lanzafame, MD, MBA
The Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons

Trustees 2025-2026
George Melich, MD
University of British Columbia

Robert B. Lim, MD
Wake Forest University

Trustees 2026-2027
Jessica Opoku-Anane, MD, MS
Columbia University

Megan Kennedy Burns, MD, MA
Center for Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery and Pelvic Pain
Dept of Obstetrics & Gynecology
University of Rochester Medical Center

National Advisory Board Trustee (2026)
Iswanto Sucandy, MD
Advent Health

International Advisory Board Trustee (2026)
Silvio Alen Canton, MBBS
University of Padova

Scientific & Technology Advisor/Ex-Officio:
Richard M. Satava, MD
University of Washington

International Advisory Committee Chair/Ex-Officio:
Maurice K. Chung, RPh, MD
Center for Endometriosis, Pelvic Pain & Urogynecology
WVU Medicine, Wheeling & Reynolds Memorial Hospital

Ex-Officio:
Michael S. Kavic, MD
Northeast Ohio Medical University

Jessica Ybanez-Morano, MD, MPH
Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital

Ronald Fieldstone, Esq

The Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons (SLS)
is proud to announce our 2023-2024 Board of Trustees:

President
Radha Syed, MD
Richmond OB-GYN Associates

Vice-President
Sharona Ross, MD
Florida Hospital Tampa

Secretary-Treasurer
Ian A. Hodgdon, MD
LSU Health New Orleans
School of Medicine

Immediate Past President
Paul G. Toomey, MD
Florida Surgical Specialists

Chairman / Executive Director / Scientific Chair
Raymond J. Lanzafame, MD, MBA
The Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons

Trustees (2023-2024)
Juan L. Salgado-Morales, MD
Universida Central Del Caribe
School of Medicine

Robert B. Lim, MD
Wake Forest University
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center

Trustees (2024-2025)
Ceana Nezhat, MD
Nezhat Medical Center

Jessica Opoku-Anane, MD
Columbia University

National Advisory Board Trustee (2024)
George Melich, MD
University of British Columbia

Scientific & Technology Advisor/Ex-Officio:
Richard M. Satava, MD
University of Washington

International Advisory Committee Chair/Ex-Officio:
Maurice K. Chung, RPh, MD
Center for Endometriosis, Pelvic Pain & Urogynecology
WVU Medicine, Wheeling & Reynolds Memorial Hospital

Ex-Officio:
Michael S. Kavic, MD
Northeast Ohio Medical University

Ronald Fieldstone, Esq

The SLS Board of Directors recently approved our new name. While the term “Laparoendoscopic” was intended to represent all MIS disciplines and technologies when SLS was formed in December of 1990, it no longer is consistent with current terminology and search terms. Our website and materials will be updated to reflect our new name and logo.

SLS is a unique multispecialty and multidisciplinary organization with a global reach. Our current and past officers and members reflect interest and leadership in Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery and represent the knowledge and opinion leaders (KOLs) and pioneers in robotics and computer assisted surgery, surgical simulation, laparoscopy, endoscopy, and minimally invasive surgery.

Our updated logo is reminiscent of the Society’s original logo at the time of its founding in 1990 and reflects our new name. We will continue to be known as SLS.
We are witnessing an exciting and transformative period of unprecedented change in healthcare. The pace of change is virtually continuous with clear signs of a revolution on the horizon. Thank you for your ongoing support of SLS and its mission. Join with us as we create the future through collaboration and education.

 
 
 
Raymond J. Lanzafame, MD, MBA
Executive Director & Scientific Chair

June 29, 2015 — You’ve been named in a malpractice lawsuit. Your mind starts racing with a dozen questions to which you have no answers. Your stomach feels like it’s in your throat.

What do you do first? Who do you turn to for help? This column provides an overview of the claims process, highlighting your obligations and what to expect.

Could this really happen to you? Yes. A dentist in the U.S. is sued once in his or her career, on average, according to an internal analysis (depending on location and scope of practice). That’s why it’s crucial to educate yourself on your carrier’s claims experience, including its trial-win rate and trial-closed-without-pay percentages.

Many dentists and oral surgeons struggle with the shock and emotional impact of being sued. The doctor might replay in his or her mind the care provided, words used, and decisions made, wondering what could have been done differently. Imagine the effect this can have on your day-to-day life. And try balancing a fast-paced career with court dates, depositions, settlement offers/negotiations, and more.

What will happen?

Upon notification of a potential claim, it is imperative that you immediately contact your malpractice insurance carrier; any delay could lead to defense vulnerabilities. Once notified, your carrier will assign the claim to a claims manager who will contact you (likely within 24 hours) to open a claim file.

The claims manager will review the claim against your policy. A timeline of the events that led to the claim will be prepared and pertinent information such as patient medical records, treatment plans, and consent forms will be collected to aid in your defense. Additionally, the claims manager should work with you to determine if the standard of care was breached during treatment.

Standard of care can be breached without negligence (that is, malpractice) occurring. To prove negligence, the plaintiff must establish:

• That you had a legal duty to care for the patient
• That you breached that duty
• That the breach caused the alleged injury
• That actual damages resulted

All four elements must be met to establish malpractice.

If it doesn’t appear that negligence can be established by the plaintiff, your claims manager will notify the plaintiff that the claim doesn’t have merit and there is no intent to settle. Nevertheless, a lawsuit may still be filed by the plaintiff. If so, the claims manager will hire an attorney to participate in your defense — preferably one who has thorough clinical knowledge and experience defending healthcare professionals in the jurisdiction in which the suit is being tried.

You will meet with your attorney in person to discuss the merits of the claim and he or she will notify the plaintiff of your intent to fight the claim. The attorney will begin the discovery process and obtain relevant information from all parties involved in the claim. You and your attorney will begin preparing your defense for trial.

The claims process will undoubtedly be a stressful experience for any doctor and his or her office. However, by carefully analyzing a healthcare liability company’s level of claims expertise and claims-closed-without-pay and trial-win percentages, you will be able to quantify the strength of your healthcare liability coverage and the team associated with protecting your assets and reputation.

Jennifer Gibson is with the MedPro Group based in Fort Wayne, IN. Visit www.medpro.com/mock-trial-oms to see what it’s like to face a malpractice case in court.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.