ATTORNEY
Stephen Myers has represented physicians hundreds of times in connection with peer review proceedings at most of the hospitals in Arizona and has represented physicians 1000 or more times before the Arizona Medical Board and Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery.
Many former Medical Board Chairs of the Arizona Medical Board have referred their partners and colleagues to Stephen for representation before the Board. He has also represented a former M.D. Chair of the Board before the Board members and also a sitting M.D. Board member before his fellow M.D. Board members.
Many current and former D.O. Board members have also referred their partners and colleagues to him for representation before the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Board.
Large and small medical practice groups in Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott routinely engage Stephen for representation of physicians employed by them before the allopathic and osteopathic boards. Large hospital chains have engaged Stephen to represent a recruited physician in connection with a challenging application for licensure and to represent a hospital employed physician in a board disciplinary proceeding.
Stephen has been counsel from the Medical Executive Committee of Maryvale Hospital from 2000 to 2017 and on occasion for the Medical Executive Committees of Phoenix Baptist Hospital, Maricopa District Hospital, and Yuma Regional Medical Center.
Many medical board investigations can and do result in dismissal and other non-disciplinary outcomes. Stephen professionally assists the physician clients in achieving the best outcomes possible.
Stephen endeavors to do for his physician clients the same that he does for those clients subject to medical board investigations, but he also recognizes that hospital peer review is unlike any other professional review venue.
Too often peer review is driven by anti-competitive animus, fair play is not the case, and reason may not prevail. He therefore explains comprehensively the entire process and counsels the client as to the best outcome achievable for the physician’s future career.
Medical Board Formal Interviews
(Formal Interviews are conducted before the Board members when the Board’s staff has recommended disciplinary action.)
2017 – M.D. Electrophysiologist. Board members rejected Staff’s non-disciplinary recommendation. Board members rescheduled the case for Formal Interview for disciplinary action. Result at Formal Interview: Dismissal
2016 – M.D. Vascular Surgeon. Malpractice claim settled for two million dollars. Board’s medical consultant found that care deviated from the standard of care. Result at Formal Interview: Dismissal
2015 – M.D. OB-GYN. Malpractice claim settled for two million dollars. Board’s medical consultant deviated from the standard of care. Result at Formal Interview: Dismissal
2015 – M.D. Vascular Surgeon. Three charts referred by hospital peers. Medical consultant for Board found all three to deviate from standard of care. Result at Formal Interview: Dismissal
2012 – M.D. OB-GYN. Five charts referred by hospital. Medical consultant for Board found all deviated from standard of care. Result at Formal Interview: Three cases dismissed. Non-disciplinary advisory letter for two charts.
2013 – Co-counsel for Peer Review. M.D. General surgeon – 12 charts found by internal staff committees to all have deviated from standard of care. Hearing Panel ruled in favor of surgeon on all 12 charts and recommended reinstatement of client’s privileges. Board of Trustees denied reinstatement. Appeal to Superior Court, which ordered reinstatement. Appeal by hospital to Court of Appeals. The parties then settled on grounds favorable to the surgeon.
American Bar Association, 1974-present
Member, Health Law Section
American Health Lawyers Association
Arizona Association of Healthcare Attorneys
Member, Board of Directors, 1997-present;
President, 2003-2004
Maricopa County Bar Association, 1974-present
Member, Continuing Legal Education Committee, 1983–1988;
Chairperson, Continuing Legal Education Committee, 1985-1986;
Chairperson, The Maricopa Lawyer Editorial Board, 1989-1991;
Chairperson, Public Relations Committee, 1992-1993;
Member, Board of Directors, 1996-2002
State Bar of Arizona, 1974-present
Member, Administrative Law Section
“Recent Changes by the Arizona Legislature to the Arizona Medical Board’s Statute”
The Round-Up, a publication of the Maricopa Medical Society, October 2012
“Peer Review: A Comparison of the Processes of Arizona Hospitals and the Arizona Medical Board and a Modest Proposal for Reform of Hospital Peer Review”
The Round-Up, a publication of the Maricopa Medical Society, November 2011