Via DB’s Medical Rants, I found this series in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on how hospitals are using a wrinkle in an obscure 1986 Act to ruin–literally, professionally and financially– doctors who blow the whistle on poor quality care.  There are many short readable stories in this series, which is in day number 4.

We know from IOM reports and other sources that there are many mistakes made inside hospitals, and we know that many hospitals are desperate to improve their bottom lines, and avoid scandal, and would probably rather not hear about those errors.  So in my view, as Schwarzenneger said, where there is smoke there is usually fire. Go read and be very scared that this type of thing is going on, and then wonder if we really are serious about care quality.