Defense Digest

On The Pulse: HEALTH CARE GROUP PROFILE
By Kathleen S. McGrath, Esq.*

Over the past 30 years, Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin has been a leader in southeastern Pennsylvania in the defense of healthcare providers.  Not only does this tradition continue in southeastern Pennsylvania, but our firm now tenaciously defends medical providers throughout the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, and Florida.  Our firm has over 60 lawyers dedicated to the defense of individual physicians, dentists, registered nurses, hospitals, psychologists, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other healthcare providers. 

The attorneys in our practice group have handled virtually every type of medical malpractice claim including hybrid malpractice claims such as the defense of Phen-Fen, Ephedra, and pharmaceutical claims.  Our attorneys have handled credentialing issues, licensing issues, and have dealt with investigations involving governmental agencies.

Over the past year we have made substantial additions to the depth of our medical defense practice.

In February 2004, E. Chandler Hosmer (formerly of Goldfein & Hosmer) joined our firm and is practicing out of the Norristown, PA office.  Chan brings with him over 25 years of experience in defending physicians, hospitals, and allied healthcare providers.

Craig Stone (formerly of Mette, Evans) has joined our Harrisburg, PA office.   Like Chan Hosmer, Craig brings to Marshall, Dennehey over 25 years of experience defending medical malpractice claims.  Both Craig and Chan have enjoyed the respect of their colleagues for all of these years.  Additionally, Mike Pipa has joined our Harrisburg, PA office.  Mike brings with him 12 years of defending medical malpractice claims, as well as four years working in the non-profit area.  The combination of Craig and Mike in the Harrisburg office provides depth and strength to our medical group in Harrisburg.  Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin is certainly pleased to have them as part of our medical group. 

In addition to our strong medical malpractice attorneys in our Pittsburgh, PA office, we have added a physician/paralegal/medical consultant to our staff.  Dr. Jo Marie Simkins, a surgeon, is now working in our Pittsburgh office assisting our health care attorneys in the defense of medical claims.  She is also providing our clients with initial reviews of medical cases to determine compliance with the standard of care and to determine the medical necessity of treatment.  Dr. Simkins is available to provide this service for all of our clients.

Our firm has just opened a Jacksonville, FL office.   In addition to a compliment of six defense attorneys, we now have an attorney in Jacksonville, Mike Obringer, who has done a great deal of medical malpractice defense work. Cynthia Kohn, formerly of our Bethlehem, PA office, has transferred to our Orlando, FL office.  Cynthia has been defending medical malpractice matters for the last ten years. 

Lynne Nahmani, formerly of the Norristown, PA office transferred to the Cherry Hill, NJ office.  Lynne has been defending doctors, hospitals, and allied healthcare providers for fifteen years.  Lynne will certainly add to our already strong complement of medical liability attorneys in South Jersey.

Bradley Goewert, formerly of the Philadelphia, PA office, transferred to the Wilmington, PA office.  Brad has been a medical malpractice practitioner for the last 16 years.

In October, 2003, Paul Laughlin, a seasoned medical malpractice attorney, joined our Bethlehem, PA office. 

On October 28, 2004, the medical malpractice attorneys from our western Pennsylvania offices will present a Medical Malpracticel Liability Seminar.   Our firm has presented medical liability seminars on a biannual basis in southeastern Pennsylvania for the past 12 years.  Since these seminars have been well received and attended by our clients, we have decided to offer this service in western Pennsylvania.  Our attorneys have prepared an interesting series of topics. 

The members of the Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin Health Care Liability Practice Group believe that we have staff and expertise to serve the needs of our insureds not only in the defense of medical liability claims but also in the handling of peer review issues, credentialing issues, patient disclosure issues, and a broad spectrum of other issues that may arise under the Patient Safety Act.   We, of course, are willing and able to provide in-services to both healthcare providers and insurance carriers on these issues. 

Since the issues related to the defense of medical malpractice claims have been ever changing, we too have made changes, additions, and adjustments to our various offices in order to better serve our clients' needs.

We certainly look forward to responding to the needs of our clients as we move forward together.

* Kate, a shareholder and member of the firm's Board of Directors, is Chair of our Health Care Liability Practice Group.  She can be reached at (610) 292-4449 or mcgrath@mdwcg.com.