Martinson & Beason, P.C.
Alabama has the 3rd highest premature birth rate in the entire country. The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. How can you help? Join Martinson & Beason, P.C. and the rest of “Team Will”…
Martinson & Beason, P.C. partner Doug Martinson recently sat down with fellow local attorney Ron Sykstus for an interview on Sykstus’ podcast, Next Lawyer Up, which features discussions with local attorneys from north Alabama. The pair discussed various topics including the practice of law, Huntsville history, service to the community,…
New doctors will soon be able to work up to 28 hours in a row on a single shift under a new regulation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The regulation applies to residents – doctors who have completed medical school but are not yet attending physicians. Under the current regulation, which went into effect in 2011, residents can only work a maximum of 16 hours in a single shift. The new regulation, set to take effect July 1st, 2017, allows regular shifts for residents of up to 24 hours, with a possible four hour extension if the resident is transitioning a patient to another doctor. However, the doctor’s hours are still limited to a maximum of 80 in one week.
While it is not uncommon for physicians to work very long hours, sleep deprivation can be detrimental to delivering quality healthcare. Lack of sleep can result in many harmful effects such as impaired brain activity, memory problems, cognitive dysfunction, moodiness, depression, weakened immune response, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and an increase in the likelihood of accidents. In addition, extreme sleep deprivation, such as that allowed by the new regulation, can lead to ‘microsleeps’, in which people fall asleep for up to thirty seconds, potentially with their eyes open.
A Texas man was recently indicted in an appalling case of financial elder abuse that happened in Madison County, AL, according to a report from al.com. The federal indictment alleges that Dwayne Elllis Baptiste concocted a scheme to steal $545,000 from a retired Lockheed Martin employee who is now deceased. Baptiste became acquainted with the elderly man, Ralph Swinehart, as well as his son, Ronald Swinehart, in 2011. Both Swineharts died within a few days of each other in October of 2011. In order to carry out the scheme, Batiste filed a fraudulent Power of Attorney in Madison County Probate Court, and then proceeded to empty the senior Mr. Swinehart’s retirement accounts. If convicted, the maximum penalties for the crimes include 20 years in jail and a fine of up to $1 million. Although this case involved a violation of federal law, Alabama has criminalized the exploitation of elderly people through the Protecting Alabama’s Elders Act. The law makes first degree intentional elder abuse a class A felony. Ala. Code § 38-9E-3. Financial abuse of an elderly person in the first degree, which includes cases of theft over $2,500, is a Class B felony under the law. Ala. Code § 38-9E-6.
