Ask Your Physician Advocate

As your SDCMS physician advocate, I am here as your first-stop resource for member physicians and their staffs. Whether it be a medical-legal question, a resource or referral inquiry, or a reimbursement need, I will either do the leg-work myself to find your answer or give you direction as to how to obtain further assistance or information. Please feel free to call me at 858/300.2783 or e-mail me at LHeath@SDCMS.org. I am here to help!

Each month, I will address in San Diego Physician common questions that I have received from SDCMS members. Some questions are quite specific but may be of interest to you or your staff. Other questions are asked repeatedly, which implies others out there must be wondering the same thing. Here are two questions for this month:

Question: “Where can I obtain hospital records for a closed hospital?”

Answer: For a listing of closed hospitals within San Diego County and the location of the stored records, contact the local Department of Health Services. This agency DOES NOT store any medical records. They do, however, have a list of hospitals and where their records are being stored only. The party in search of medical records is responsible for contacting the facility and making the necessary arrangements to obtain their medical records. If you are trying to locate medical records from a hospital located north of the 8 freeway (such as Mission Bay Hospital), call 619/278.3700. If you are trying to locate medical records from a hospital located south of the 8 freeway (such as Physicians and Surgeons Hospital), call 619/688.6190.

Question: “I am a member of the San Diego County Medical Society; how can I get the Automobile Club of Southern California member discount on auto insurance?”

Answer: AAA offers a San Diego County Medical Society member discount that ranges from 4 percent to 14 percent off on all lines of insurance coverage. Simply contact your insurance agent and ask for the “Select Professionals and Groups Discount Program.” You may be asked to submit your membership certificate for proof of membership. If you don’t have a membership certificate to show as proof, contact me at 858/300.2783, and I will mail one out to you as soon as possible. sdp

Disclaimer: The advice offered here is not legal advice. Legal advice should be obtained from an attorney.