A Brookhaven family practice doctor is on a leave of absencefrom his duties at King’s Daughters Medical Center while he seeks anew medical malpractice insurance policy.

Dr. Lee Neal said he requested the leave Wednesday after hisprevious policy was not renewed. Neal said he is in the process ofgetting a new policy, which he expected to have by next Monday,July 22.

“Hopefully, that will be completely corrected in 10 days,” saidNeal, who still sees patients at his office but cannot admit any tothe hospital.

Phillip Grady, KDMC’s chief executive officer, said the policyagainst uninsured physicians is in the hospital’s bylaws. Heindicated it is a standard policy with hospitals.

“Unless there’s proof of insurance, no hospital that I know ofcan let them practice in their facility,” Grady said.

Earlier this year, Grady said KDMC had 14 physicians, certifiedregistered nurse anesthetists or nurse practitioners that werefacing the possibility of losing malpractice coverage beforeOctober. With Neal, that number is now down to three, and Gradysaid he saw no reason why those would not have insurance at theappropriate time.

Grady said the administrative process of changing insurance wasa slow one and not related to Neal’s abilities.

“There’s no quality issues. He’s an outstanding physician,”Grady said.

Neal said he has had two claims, both related to diet pills,made against him in his nine years of practice. He was dropped fromone claim, and he expects to be removed from the other soon.

Neal is not alone in having a medical malpractice policy notrenewed, said Mike Windham, who handled the doctor’s insurance withMedical Assurance Company of West Virginia.

With the exception of Jackson County, where Medical Assuranceinsures the hospital, Windham said the company is not renewing itspolicies with all doctors in the state. According to a non-renewalletter that Windham cited, the doctors “no longer meet theunderwriting criteria” for coverage.

Windham also mentioned the state’s legal climate that is “notprofitable” for insurance companies.

In response to legal climate concerns by doctors, businessleaders and others, a state legislative committee is studying tortreform. Governor Ronnie Musgrove is expected to call a specialsession when the committee’s work is done.

Coupled with the Sept. 11 tragedy and a troubled investmentsmarket, Windham said the insurance market has “hardened,” meaningpolicy prices have gone up and companies are not as willing to riskexposure.

“They’ve all tightened up tremendously,” Windham said.

Neal said he enjoys his practice in Brookhaven and has no plansor desires to leave.

“This is my home,” he said.