1.   Legislators are planning a new bill that will protect patients from incompetent doctors.

2.   Nevertheless, no amount of sterile packs and antiseptic agents will protect a patient from a staff member who has contaminated hands.

3.   The report goes on to offer an update on progress implementing the consultation document Supporting doctors, protecting patients.

4.   The second priority is legislation to protect patients in health maintenance organizations, sponsored by Sens.

5.   The DAI and laboratory data, however, showed significant improvements at four weeks and continued prednisolone treatment does not protect patients in remission from further relapse.

6.   And all health plans must comply with new federal regulations requiring standardized computer language and privacy and security measures to protect patients.

7.   And others said while the bill strikes the confidentiality statute, it replaces it with wording they believe will protect patients.

8.   At a hearing Wednesday, senators were told that existing regulations are failing to protect patients.

9.   At the conclusion, Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who is chairman of the subcommittee, declared that the system for protecting patients was broken.

10.   -- The government continues to wrestle with how to protect patients.