The Medical Society of the State of New York has hired extra public relations help, signing a three-month agreement with an outside consultant in addition to its regular staff. At the top of its agenda is a pending bill (S5493/A7889) sponsored by state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Utica, and Assemblyman Al Stirpe, D-Syracuse. The bill would make it clear to patients when their health care providers are physicians—not less-trained professionals. Known as the Healthcare Professional Transparency Act, the measure would require workers who come in contact with patients to wear an ID tag that specifies what kind of license he or she has. The bill would also cover medical advertising. “Ambiguous provider nomenclature, related advertisements and marketing and the myriad of individuals one encounters in each point of service exacerbate patient uncertainty,” the bill reads in part. According to MSSNY, an AMA survey found that 54% of patients believe optometrists are medical doctors, 35% believe a nurse with a Ph.D. is a physician, and 44% say they have trouble learning which of their caregivers are M.D.s.