Fort Wayne, IN (November 28, 2012) – Medical Protective, the nation's oldest and highest-rated healthcare malpractice insurer, announced the expansion of its doctor-driven specialty advisory boards earlier this month at the MedPro National Advisory Board Meeting in Chicago. This announcement comes as part of MedPro's initiative to further integrate its insurance and healthcare expertise with efforts to reduce risk and improve patient safety for all healthcare systems and providers.

Focusing specifically on nine different specialties in 2012 – anesthesiology, cosmetic surgery, dentistry, emergency medicine, family medicine, general surgery, OB/GYN, oral surgery, and orthopedics – MedPro's advisory boards have three key goals: preventing and reducing risk; improving patient outcomes; and advocating for insureds within each of these specialties.

"We established doctor-driven specialty advisory boards to make certain our insureds have an advocate that understands their specialty and the challenges unique to their practice," said Dr. Graham Billingham, MedPro's Chief Medical Officer. "Our over 110,000 insureds care for millions of patients each year and – more and more – seek specialty-specific insights into their practices. Our century of experience combined with the insights of these boards allow MedPro to extend its leadership in making meaningful, positive impacts to patient safety and risk prevention."

Meeting multiple times a year, each specialty advisory board is comprised of a broad spectrum of highly accomplished practitioners, bringing to their respective advisory boards a wealth of clinical and healthcare management experience. In addition, each advisory board coordinates with dedicated liaisons from MedPro's functions including claims, risk, underwriting and sales.

"We assembled these boards with the goal of narrowing practice behavior, taking the variability out of high-risk medicine," Billingham added. "MedPro was founded by doctors, and protecting, defending and supporting the needs of our doctors has always been an integral part of how we operate. Healthcare delivery is changing in significant ways – and very quickly – and MedPro is uniquely positioned to support and guide healthcare providers through these changes with insight, expertise and solutions."

"As physicians, our goal is always to make a positive impact in the lives of our patients," said Dr. Larry Tatum, OB/GYN Advisory Board Chair. "Partnering with an experienced, influential company like MedPro gives me and the other board members the chance to do that on a massive scale, impacting the entire healthcare system through best practice sharing with our peers and MedPro. I'm very excited to be a part and make an impact."

"Since 1899, MedPro has been the leading defender of the assets and reputations of healthcare providers--delivering unmatched financial strength, the most winning claims defense, comprehensive risk management and patient safety solutions," added Tim Kenesey, MedPro's CEO. "While the challenges and uncertainties of the changing healthcare delivery system are significant, healthcare providers from coast-to-coast know that MedPro will be there for them for the long-term … and our doctor-driven, specialty advisory boards are just another example of our commitment to our providers."

Medical Protective will be adding additional advisory boards throughout 2013.