On Wednesday April 28, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed a bill that would allow qualified associates/staff to obtain informed consent from patients prior to medical procedures. Traditionally, doctors were the only individuals who had the sole, non-delegable responsibility of obtaining the Consent Forms. The unanimous vote amends the state’s Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act (MCARE Act) to clarify that not only a treating physician but any “qualified practitioner” would be able to obtain a patient’s informed consent.

Continue Reading Pennsylvania Senate Approves Bill Allowing Delegation of A Doctor’s Informed Consent Duties

On April 6, 2021 the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill that will ultimately protect not only healthcare workers, but also various facilities and businesses. According to the article reports, by a 107-to-94 vote, this bill will specifically protect businesses, health care facilities, nursing homes, and schools from “lawsuits alleging COVID-19 exposure, absent claims of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.”

Continue Reading Pennsylvania State Representatives Pass Expanded COVID-19 Liability Immunity

According to recent reports, the FDA is investigating cases where patients have died due to contamination issues with medical devices. Specifically, the infections are apparently stemming from “the patient-to-patient transfer of pathogens from devices used to view and access the urinary tract, bladder, and kidneys, including cystoscopes, ureteroscopes, and cystourethroscopes.”

Continue Reading Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Discover Infections Linked to Reusable Urological Endoscopes

Did you know that lung cancer killed more than 135,000 people in the United States in 2020? The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force believes that increasing the number of eligible Americans for free lung cancer screenings will save more lives, including those of women and people of color.

Continue Reading Federally Appointed Task Force Recommends Increase in Number of Americans Eligible for Lung Cancer Screenings

Snow Removal Law

Now that the temperatures outside have started to dip and the winter driving season is upon us, it is time to remind you of New Jersey’s ice and snow removal law. Remember to remove all ice and snow from your vehicle before driving, especially from the hood, windows, and roof. Motorists who fail to obey this law face fines of $25 to $75 for each offense, regardless of whether the ice and snow is dislodged from the vehicle. If flying ice or snow causes property damage or injury to others, motorists face fines of $200 to $1,000 for each offense.

Continue Reading New Jersey Ice and Snow Removal Law and Winter Driving Tips

Did you know that New Jersey has a law on its books requiring you to make sure that snow and ice has been removed from your entire car before you hit the road?  In fact, police have issued over 3,200 tickets since the law took effect in October 2010.

Most people assume that so long as their windows are clear, they are safe.  However, this is not the case. Hard snow and ice accumulations routinely fly off while driving, creating dangerous conditions for other drivers whose cars are struck by the flying object itself, or who get spooked while trying to avoid these dangers.

Continue Reading Be Sure to Remove Snow and Ice from Your Entire Car, Not Just the Windshield

The Amazon plant in Robbinsville, New Jersey has closed down, and will remain closed until December 26, 2020 because several of their employees tested positive for COVID-19. Amazon spokesperson Lisa Levandowski made the following statement:

“Through our in-house COVID-19 testing program, we detected an increase in the number of asymptomatic positive cases at our PNE5 facility in New Jersey and have proactively closed the site until December 26th out of an abundance of caution.”

Continue Reading Amazon Plant Closing in New Jersey Due to COVID-19 Exposure

Governor Murphy announced a new Executive Order (EO) providing on-the-job protections for all workers in New Jersey. New Jersey joins only three other states in creating such guidelines, as OSHA and the Federal government have failed to take action in this regard. This EO is designed to ensure that consistent standards are applied by employers to protect employees.

Continue Reading Worker Protection Executive Order Signed Today

On September 14, 2020, New Jersey Governor Murphy signed important legislation that benefits all workers who contracted COVID-19 while working through the current pandemic. The legislation creates the presumption that the contracted illness is “work related.” Before this legislation was signed, only “public safety workers” such as police, fire, EMT, and medical personnel, were granted this presumption.

Continue Reading All Essential Workers Now Deemed “Eligible” for Workers’ Compensation Benefits Under New Legislation

May is Motorcycle Safety Month, which highlights the need for all drivers to be especially aware of motorcycles as well as all vehicles on the roads. With the recent beautiful weather, I’ve seen and heard more motorcycles in the last week than I have in months. Please be especially vigilant and respectful of others as you drive, whether you are on a bike, in a car, or truck.

Continue Reading May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month: Please Drive and Ride Safely