Statement by Wayne V. Polek, MD, ISMS President
Re: Signing of H.B. 105 Patient Right to Know Act
August 9, 2011

The Illinois State Medical Society was neutral on House Bill 105 because it was a standalone measure, instead of being part of essential larger legislation to extend Illinois’ Medical Practice Act.  That Act, which governs the practice of medicine in Illinois, is scheduled for a sunset repeal on November 30, 2011, and must be renewed by that date.

ISMS supported internet profiles as part of a comprehensive 10-year Medical Practice Act extension (H.B. 214 and S.B. 1388), but the General Assembly chose a piecemeal approach leaving significant unfinished business.  We are now faced with a November 30 expiration of the Act, which if allowed, would wreak havoc on health care in Illinois.

Illinois physicians also supported inclusion of internet physician profiles as a component of comprehensive medical liability reform in 2005. Unfortunately those reforms were overturned in 2010. ISMS again supported the profiles this year as a comprehensive solution to address Illinois’ continued medical liability problem. Regrettably, medical liability reform (S.B. 1887 and H.B 2887) did not advance.

ISMS is a professional membership association representing 12,000 physicians practicing in all medical specialties statewide. Dr. Polek is an anesthesiologist from St. Charles, IL.

www.isms.org