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PPM’s Vice President – Risk Management Reelected to Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Board of Directors

September 15, 2022

Thomas continues to serve on the APSF Board of Directors, Editorial Board, and Corporate Advisory Council

Overland Park, Kansas – September 15, 2022 – Preferred Physicians Medical (PPM), industry-leading provider of professional liability insurance for anesthesia practices, announced today that Brian Thomas, JD, PPM's Vice President – Risk Management, was reelected to serve another three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) on September 5, 2022. Thomas was appointed to the APSF Editorial Board and the Corporate Advisory Council in 2018 and continues to serve in those roles.

Founded in 1985, the APSF's mission is to improve the safety of patients during anesthesia care by identifying safety initiatives and creating recommendations to implement directly and with partner organizations, being a leading voice for anesthesia patient safety worldwide, and supporting and advancing anesthesia patient safety culture, knowledge, and learning. Thomas has been responsible for developing and implementing much of PPM's risk management materials and is the editor of PPM's risk management newsletter, Anesthesia & the Law. Thomas has also written and spoken extensively on many patient safety initiatives including perioperative fire prevention, distractions in the OR from personal electronic device use, wrong site surgery and blocks, medication errors, and securing narcotics in the anesthesia workplace.

"It is truly an honor and a privilege to be reelected to continue to serve on the APSF Board of Directors," noted Thomas, "PPM and the APSF share many patient safety goals and I look forward to continuing to contribute toward the efforts of the APSF to improve patient safety and our vision that ‘no one shall be harmed by anesthesia care.’ "

Details about the APSF, its mission, and activities can be found at the organization’s website, www.apsf.org

News Archive

7/11/2022	Unanimous Defense Verdict in Utah after “Never Event” Jury rejects allegations that anesthesiologist was responsible for OR team in preventing patient fall.
6/1/2022	PPM Vice President - Risk Management Chairs APSF Task Force on Criminalization of Medical Error Brian J. Thomas, JD leads Task Force in drafting APSF Position Statement on Criminalization of Medical Error and Call for Action to Prevent Patient Harm from Error
5/16/2022	Unanimous Defense Verdict in New York after COVID-19 Mistrial Jury rejects allegations that anesthesiologist failed to properly monitor patient and delayed resuscitation.
4/4/2022	Missouri Unanimous Defense Verdict Jury rejects out-of-state prolific plaintiffs’ expert’s unsupported opinions and testimony
11/16/2021	PPM Announces Claims Staff Addition Ms. Judy Simon joins PPM as Senior Claims Attorney.
4/13/2021	PPM Conducts 500th Risk Management Seminar Milestone marks continued commitment to patient safety and risk management.
2/10/2021	PPM Vice President-Risk Management co-authors article in APSF Newsletter Brian J. Thomas, JD co-authors article on enhancing a culture of patient safety.
10/5/2020	Updates to PPM Board of Directors Robert Edwards, MD elected as Chair and Ian Kallmeyer, MD joins PPM Board of Directors.
6/17/2020	PPM Contributes to APSF Newsletter Article Recent publication of “Cardiopulmonary Sentinel Event During Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): Oversedation or Gas Embolism?”
1/15/2020	Virginia Unanimous Defense Verdict Jury found PPM insureds’ testimony compelling over out-of-state expert’s nitpicking of code records
9/4/2019	Brian Thomas Elected to Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Board of Directors Thomas to serve on both the Board of Directors and Editorial Board
4/19/2019	Directed Verdict in Arizona Wrongful Death Trial Judge ruled reasonable jurors could not find anesthesiologist’s care constituted medical negligence.
3/5/2019	Missouri Unanimous Defense Verdict Jury rejected contention that CRNA failed to properly recognize and respond to respiratory arrest.
11/21/2018	New York Defense Verdict Jury rejected theory that medications were contraindicated and caused cardiac arrest.
10/8/2018	Missouri Unanimous Defense Verdict Jury agreed supervising anesthesiologist was not required to be present for leak test.
6/4/2018	New York Wrongful Death Defense Verdict Jury agreed the risk of postponing an emergency surgery for a critically ill patient outweighed the risks of proceeding.
2/2/2018	PPM Secures 44th Consecutive Upper Extremity Nerve Damage Verdict Court recognized upper extremity nerve injuries can occur absent negligence.
1/25/2018	PPM Contributes to ASA Monitor Article Recent publication of “Distractions in the O.R.”

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