Terminating the Physician/Patient Relationship

At some point in their careers, physicians may be faced with terminating services to patients. In general, terminating the physician-patient relationship is allowed as long as the physician provides reasonable notice to the patient ' giving him or her the opportunity to obtain another qualified physician to manage his or her care. If this requirement is not met, and the patient suffers injury, the physician may have breached a duty to the patient and may be found liable for medical negligence (malpractice) under the theory of abandonment. How do we terminate the physician-patient relationship while also preventing abandonment?