When Doctors Are Health Hazards

In an egregious case of medical misconduct that has implications for anyone who goes to a doctor, Valencia obstetrician Milos Klvana has been convicted of second-degree murder in the deaths of eight babies and a fetus. The deaths share chilling elements: parents going to Klvana’s clinic, trusting him and burying a child days after birth. Evidence showed he repeatedly misused a labor-inducing drug and botched complications that required hospital care.

At least the conviction assures the public that such gross medical misbehavior has not gone unpunished. But its more important message is the mishandled cases themselves, nine examples of why medical consumers must retain a healthy respect for caveat emptor when it comes to selecting a physician. The key phrase to remember: Screen and check.

The American Medical Assn. says one way to screen and check an obstetrician is to ask where he has full and active hospital staff privileges. If the hospital has a certified intensive care nursery, it is likely to have the related services and staffing that would be needed for any ob/gyn emergency. If a doctor is affiliated with such a hospital, his work has been regularly monitored and reviewed.

The screen-and-check questions apply for all physicians. Are they board-certified in their specialty? This means they received special training in that field. Are they members of a society of specialists, or members of the local chapter of the AMA? While membership in such groups does not guarantee superiority, these groups require members to undergo some scrutiny.

Finally, common sense and instinct play important roles in selecting a doctor. The time-honored tradition of referrals from trusted friends remains a smart way to find a good one. If a prospective doctor resists answering all questions about proposed treatment, find one who will. And if a doctor insists on a medical procedure that just does not sound right to you, get another opinion. It’s a lesson learned too late for the parents of Klvana’s victims, but there is still time for other innocents.