As urgent care centers are becoming more popular, some are calling for tighter regulations — and more transparency when it comes to communicating with patients about who is treating them, according to an article on the NBC New York website.
George Trovato, 39, went to Island Urgent Care in Wading Rivers, N.Y., three years ago complaining of joint pain. A physician assistant treated him and recommended exercise; within a few weeks Trovato had a heart attack and died.
Trovato's wife, who filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the urgent care center, found out only after husband died that he had been treated by a physician assistant, not by a doctor, the article said.
In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, physician assistants are allowed to treat patients even if the physician is not on site. Phone calls or emails is an acceptable form of supervision.
The growth of the industry has prompted New York State's Public Health Council to recommend tightening up regulations.
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