LANCASTER, PA, December 22, 2009 – James W. Saxton, Chair of Stevens & Lee’s Health Care Litigation Group and Co-Chair of the Health Care Department, presented “Managing Surgical and Professional Liability Risk in 2010 and Beyond” in the Cleveland Clinic’s Innovations in Surgery, a videoconference broadcast internationally on December 4, 2009. Mr. Saxton discussed the importance of understanding the changing liability environment for surgeons in the United States. He provided insight into how informed consent and doctor-patient communication are developing as means to improve patient satisfaction, improve outcomes and reduce the risk of suit.

He also discussed how to achieve a “five-star” culture, as well as the use of tests, benchmarks and compliance to facilitate excellence. The “five-star” principles are a series of customer service and operational guidelines designed to develop patient and employee satisfaction and a culture of service excellence, and to reduce liability exposure through education, training, communication and documentation.

Mr. Saxton lectures frequently and is an invited speaker across the country on health care issues, including liability reduction and risk management. He presents to nationally prominent health care organizations such as the American College of Surgeons, the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, the Medical Group Management Association and the American Health Lawyers Association.

Mr. Saxton is an active defense trial lawyer – a practice he has sustained for nearly 30 years – representing providers, including hospitals, physicians and retirement communities, in state and federal court and administrative proceedings. His practice includes litigation, licensing and medical staff issues. He uses his extensive experience as a litigator to advise hospitals, medical groups and retirement communities throughout the United States in connection with understanding and reducing their professional liability risk.

In addition to his trial practice, Mr. Saxton develops risk reduction strategies for health care providers and organizations nationwide and has created innovative strategies and educational programs to support them. This includes the creation of complete customized loss control programs and event management systems for self-insured organizations and captive insurance groups. Mr. Saxton has published more than 200 articles, several handbooks and six textbooks including most recently, Five-Star Customer Service: A Step-by-Step Guide for Physician Practices and the second edition of the popular text, The Satisfied Patient.

###

ABOUT STEVENS & LEE

Among the 200 largest law firms in the nation, Stevens & Lee is part of a multidisciplinary professional services platform which also consists of a FINRA-licensed investment bank, a D&O and E&O insurance risk consulting business, a swap and derivative advisory business, federal and state lobbying units, a health care risk consulting business and a government incentives and sales and use tax consulting business. The firm’s 240 multidisciplinary professionals represent clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and across the country from 15 offices in: Reading, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Lancaster, the Lehigh Valley, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Princeton and Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; New York City and Charleston, South Carolina.