Comments on: DOCTORS SUE TEXAS MEDICAL BOARD FOR MISCONDUCT – Cites institutional culture of retaliation & intimidation http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004 from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:32:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: jb http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-4067 jb Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:27:57 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-4067 I practice in North Dakota, but I used to practice in Texas. Here, any complaints are handled promptly, fairly, and vigorously; probably because there are only 1400 doctors in the state. I have never had any complaints, investigations, or malpractice suits in 13 years of practice (knock on wood). It seems to me that the TMB went from being way too lax in the past, to being almost Kafka esque in its investigative patterns. When I get my quarterly mailings from the TMB ( I kept my Texas license), I see reprimands against physicians who simply fail to make the correct diagnosis on the first presentation of a vague complaint like abdominal and back pain, even when no harm has occured to the patient. I am an ED doc in a busy ED who sees these symptoms all day long without a definitive diagnosis sometimes sending people home with follow up instructions. I would hate to think that an evolving early appendicitis or a mild nonradicular back pain that evolves days later into cauda equina would harm my career. Yet, each quarterly newsletter is loaded with such reprimands. I even see names of former colleagues who I know are excellent physicians. It is so bizarre that just not being perfect is cause for punishment. I agree that the drug peddlers/users, quacks, sexual boundary violators, and people who act out of greed should be punished, but sometimes we all make an incorrect diagnosis. If our workup and our reasoning is adequate, then we should not be punished by the board. I practice in North Dakota, but I used to practice in Texas. Here, any complaints are handled promptly, fairly, and vigorously; probably because there are only 1400 doctors in the state. I have never had any complaints, investigations, or malpractice suits in 13 years of practice (knock on wood).
It seems to me that the TMB went from being way too lax in the past, to being almost Kafka esque in its investigative patterns. When I get my quarterly mailings from the TMB ( I kept my Texas license), I see reprimands against physicians who simply fail to make the correct diagnosis on the first presentation of a vague complaint like abdominal and back pain, even when no harm has occured to the patient. I am an ED doc in a busy ED who sees these symptoms all day long without a definitive diagnosis sometimes sending people home with follow up instructions. I would hate to think that an evolving early appendicitis or a mild nonradicular back pain that evolves days later into cauda equina would harm my career. Yet, each quarterly newsletter is loaded with such reprimands. I even see names of former colleagues who I know are excellent physicians. It is so bizarre that just not being perfect is cause for punishment.
I agree that the drug peddlers/users, quacks, sexual boundary violators, and people who act out of greed should be punished, but sometimes we all make an incorrect diagnosis. If our workup and our reasoning is adequate, then we should not be punished by the board.

]]> By: Nurse Practitioner http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-3461 Nurse Practitioner Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:09:14 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-3461 I worked for a pain management physician and quit after witnessing some highly unethical and illegal activities. I reported all of this to the TMB almost 3 years ago. Even though there was evidence in patient charts backing up my claims, a lot of the cases were dismissed. In one chart, there was a copy of a Workman's Comp consult in which the neurologist wrote: The only thing wrong with this patient is that she is a patient of Dr. X. Dr. X is well known in the medical community for turning perfectly healthy patients into drug addicts. One case finally resulted in an informal hearing, in which I testified against the physician, and even that case was dismissed. A few weeks later the doctor filed a civil suit (SLAPP suit) against me - this is SUPPOSED to be a violation of the Texas Medical Practice Act. I have counter sued him in return and this has cost me thousands of dollars in legal fees. Everything I told the TMB is the 100% truth and I've even passed a polygraph test to prove it. Not to mention, everything I told them is backed up in patient charts. I want to know why NOTHING has happened to this doctor. I really tried to do the right thing and protect the patients in this state, but I'm the one who has suffered because of it. I worked for a pain management physician and quit after witnessing some highly unethical and illegal activities. I reported all of this to the TMB almost 3 years ago. Even though there was evidence in patient charts backing up my claims, a lot of the cases were dismissed. In one chart, there was a copy of a Workman’s Comp consult in which the neurologist wrote: The only thing wrong with this patient is that she is a patient of Dr. X. Dr. X is well known in the medical community for turning perfectly healthy patients into drug addicts.

One case finally resulted in an informal hearing, in which I testified against the physician, and even that case was dismissed. A few weeks later the doctor filed a civil suit (SLAPP suit) against me – this is SUPPOSED to be a violation of the Texas Medical Practice Act. I have counter sued him in return and this has cost me thousands of dollars in legal fees. Everything I told the TMB is the 100% truth and I’ve even passed a polygraph test to prove it. Not to mention, everything I told them is backed up in patient charts. I want to know why NOTHING has happened to this doctor. I really tried to do the right thing and protect the patients in this state, but I’m the one who has suffered because of it.

]]> By: Scott Alan White http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-2476 Scott Alan White Sun, 31 May 2009 06:55:17 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-2476 My name is Scott White. I live in Dallas, TX. I am going to make this a short story even though it is a very long story. In July 2006, I fell down some stairs trying to catch my son. I landed on the right side of my shoulder once I hit the bottom of the stairs. I had alot of residual pain which I thought would go away. Well, a year later I decided to go to pain management which, in short, led to a neurosurgeon on 9-14-07. He convinced me I needed to have cervical spine surgery due to degenerative disk in my cervical spine. So, by 9-25-07, less than 2 weeks after meeting with him, I was on the operating table for double discetomy on lower cervical spine area. I was told the procedure would be so evasive and quick to heal I would be out the hospital the next day and totally fused within 6 months. Four days after surgery I was admitted into the emergency room due to difficulty breathing and swelling of the neck due to surgery gone bad. Date was 9-29-07 when this happened. I was sent back home the next day after that. That's when the real problems started. I did have follow-up visits with my surgeon untill November 30, 2007. I did let the doctor know about the continuous pain I was having and he basically told me take medication and deal with it till it healed. It only got worse which increased more pain med intake which is not good for the body. Over a year had passed since I had seen the surgeon or heard from him being that he would not return any phone calls or emails my wife or me sent to him. So one day, February 4, 2009 I decided to go by his office not for a scheduled visit but for some answers. I did not get a chance to see the doctor only a lady that works for him. I was explaining to her what was going on with me and that's when she told me the product used on my cervical spine was recalled by the FDA. That made me curious. I pulled out my medical papers concerning this operation and looked over it with a friend and we discovered Bone morphogenic protein as a product used in the procedure. That led to going online and there it was on the FDA website stating basically NOT APPROVED BY FDA/DO NOT USE ANYMORE. What is worse I was never told I was a participant in a clinical trial or this product was not FDA approved. Within a week after the pop-up visit, the surgeon called, wanting to meet with me so I went to his office and saw him for the 1rst time since 11-30-07 on February 12, 2009. I printed a copy of the report from the FDA website, read it to him and showed him what I found. At that time he stated he was still using rhBMP, the medical term in short. What was strange is when the visit was over he did not shake my hand nor look me in the eye with any concern whatsoever, but turned away and left due to I perceived as being guilty of something more sinister than what I could imagine any doctor would possibly be involved in. The deeper I looked into this I found that Medtronics, the maker and promoter of this medical device rhBMP, was under scrutiny by the Federal Government for its off label promotion and marketing practice of this product. References were from several major news publishers including the Wall Street Journal. Then the numbers showing the capital/money made by Medtronics from this product were there. Then an article on its stockholders suing the company becasue they were given false statistic on the effectiveness of recombiant human bone morphogenic protein, rhBMP for short. Now I am still in pain and angry at the idea someone's father, son, brother, uncle, grandparent, sister, daughter, mother, friend or anyone else who could have had this done to them for the sake of a dollar. 3 billion dollars worth of suffering people due to the doctors using this on patients without their knowledge or consent to be under clinical trial. I would love for someone to take on my story and reveal what is really happening in the medical field. I am not the only one. I ask of you to take the measures necessary in order to exposed this so this will never happen again in the United States of America. Thank you for your time and for hearing my story. My children, my wife, my family, my father, my mother, my brother, my sister, my nephews, my nieces, and all my friends says thank you because they cried for me and with me, also. Sincerely, Scott Alan White contact me @ 214-673-6959 My name is Scott White. I live in Dallas, TX. I am going to make this a short story even though it is a very long story. In July 2006, I fell down some stairs trying to catch my son. I landed on the right side of my shoulder once I hit the bottom of the stairs. I had alot of residual pain which I thought would go away. Well, a year later I decided to go to pain management which, in short, led to a neurosurgeon on 9-14-07. He convinced me I needed to have cervical spine surgery due to degenerative disk in my cervical spine. So, by 9-25-07, less than 2 weeks after meeting with him, I was on the operating table for double discetomy on lower cervical spine area. I was told the procedure would be so evasive and quick to heal I would be out the hospital the next day and totally fused within 6 months. Four days after surgery I was admitted into the emergency room due to difficulty breathing and swelling of the neck due to surgery gone bad. Date was 9-29-07 when this happened. I was sent back home the next day after that. That’s when the real problems started.
I did have follow-up visits with my surgeon untill November 30, 2007. I did let the doctor know about the continuous pain I was having and he basically told me take medication and deal with it till it healed. It only got worse which increased more pain med intake which is not good for the body. Over a year had passed since I had seen the surgeon or heard from him being that he would not return any phone calls or emails my wife or me sent to him. So one day, February 4, 2009 I decided to go by his office not for a scheduled visit but for some answers. I did not get a chance to see the doctor only a lady that works for him. I was explaining to her what was going on with me and that’s when she told me the product used on my cervical spine was recalled by the FDA. That made me curious. I pulled out my medical papers concerning this operation and looked over it with a friend and we discovered Bone morphogenic protein as a product used in the procedure. That led to going online and there it was on the FDA website stating basically NOT APPROVED BY FDA/DO NOT USE ANYMORE. What is worse I was never told I was a participant in a clinical trial or this product was not FDA approved. Within a week after the pop-up visit, the surgeon called, wanting to meet with me so I went to his office and saw him for the 1rst time since 11-30-07 on February 12, 2009. I printed a copy of the report from the FDA website, read it to him and showed him what I found. At that time he stated he was still using rhBMP, the medical term in short. What was strange is when the visit was over he did not shake my hand nor look me in the eye with any concern whatsoever, but turned away and left due to I perceived as being guilty of something more sinister than what I could imagine any doctor would possibly be involved in.
The deeper I looked into this I found that Medtronics, the maker and promoter of this medical device rhBMP, was under scrutiny by the Federal Government for its off label promotion and marketing practice of this product. References were from several major news publishers including the Wall Street Journal. Then the numbers showing the capital/money made by Medtronics from this product were there. Then an article on its stockholders suing the company becasue they were given false statistic on the effectiveness of recombiant human bone morphogenic protein, rhBMP for short. Now I am still in pain and angry at the idea someone’s father, son, brother, uncle, grandparent, sister, daughter, mother, friend or anyone else who could have had this done to them for the sake of a dollar. 3 billion dollars worth of suffering people due to the doctors using this on patients without their knowledge or consent to be under clinical trial.
I would love for someone to take on my story and reveal what is really happening in the medical field. I am not the only one. I ask of you to take the measures necessary in order to exposed this so this will never happen again in the United States of America. Thank you for your time and for hearing my story. My children, my wife, my family, my father, my mother, my brother, my sister, my nephews, my nieces, and all my friends says thank you because they cried for me and with me, also.
Sincerely,

Scott Alan White
contact me @ 214-673-6959

]]> By: Big Medicine http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-2439 Big Medicine Sat, 02 May 2009 03:56:27 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-2439 I personally witnessed the following at the TSBME in Austin. A man came in with an application and it was denied. He went to school at a school in Europe for 7 years, not counting residency. The TSBME rejected the application citing their lack of knowledge of his course work. IN FACT, others already licensed in Texas came from this same school. The TSBME is a political machine of appointees both medical and non-medical from the Govenor's office. I have personally known at least one doctor in Houston who threatened to sue the TSBME after he was suspended. They revoked his license after the threat. Admittedly he was challenging their authority. He appealed to state court and lost. He remains unlicensed in Texas today. He had big plans to make a civil rights suit out of it and that fell apart. In the words of a prominent Austin lawyer who has been legal counsel for the TSBME, ...'it is best to fly under the radar of the Board at all times.' I personally witnessed the following at the TSBME in Austin. A man came in with an application and it was denied. He went to school at a school in Europe for 7 years, not counting residency. The TSBME rejected the application citing their lack of knowledge of his course work. IN FACT, others already licensed in Texas came from this same school.

The TSBME is a political machine of appointees both medical and non-medical from the Govenor’s office.

I have personally known at least one doctor in Houston who threatened to sue the TSBME after he was suspended. They revoked his license after the threat. Admittedly he was challenging their authority. He appealed to state court and lost. He remains unlicensed in Texas today. He had big plans to make a civil rights suit out of it and that fell apart.

In the words of a prominent Austin lawyer who has been legal counsel for the TSBME, …’it is best to fly under the radar of the Board at all times.’

]]> By: Texas Medical Board « A Blog for the Modern Conservative http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-2432 Texas Medical Board « A Blog for the Modern Conservative Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:36:20 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-2432 [...] want to pay, and even doctors filing complaints against other doctors to eliminate competition. In fact, Roberta Kalafut, the former President of the Board, arranged for her husband to file compla... You can even make a complaint in someone else’s name, something the insurance companies have [...] [...] want to pay, and even doctors filing complaints against other doctors to eliminate competition. In fact, Roberta Kalafut, the former President of the Board, arranged for her husband to file compla… You can even make a complaint in someone else’s name, something the insurance companies have [...]

]]> By: Rex Uz http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-2370 Rex Uz Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:16:16 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-2370 Physician, HEAL THYSELF. Physicians have INCOMPETENT CHARLATANS Masquerading with the title MD. and a Badge to use as object of intimidation and threat to ordinary Hospital workers who they for whatever reasons have qualms about. I am a foreign graduate who is not in practice as an MD but but work in critical Care settings. The use of what I consider a most Noble profession as a tool of ignorance, witch hunt and Incompetence and Money grabbing fools, not to mention that Insurance Companies have replaced real Physicians, made me lose my appetite to pursue medical practice, as it does not mean much to me anymore. What do you do when you spot one of your own being a Jackass, bullying Health care workers while flashing their MD Badge? Those who enjoy belittling employees who are doing their jobs, presenting reprehensible bedside manners, intimidating employees just because they think they can, talking to patients like animals and bringing them to tears just by the way they have been treated, bullying people around them due to their own insecurities and prejudices, and plainly being unprofessional, this is for you. What are the responsibilities of other Physicians who witness these reprehensible and unprofessional behaviors to point it out and put them in check? For your information, there are lots of trained/graduated Physicians out there working in other medical fields where their Badges do not read MD. You are being watched very closely and who you think is around you might be someone who would hold you responsible for your charlatanism and incompetence. Based on what I have witnessed so far, and given that I have gone through that Medical School thing with you, I would not hesitate in making sure I get your License revoked when I feel you do not deserve it and have evidence to submit to the Medical Boards. There are lots of brilliant and very good and professional Physicians out there, but the Charlatans have to watch out. That Radiology Tech, EKG Tech, RN, Respiratory Therapist, Nursing Assistant or whatever you decide to screw with tomorrow, might your one way ticket to a life with no Medical License. The guys who do their job well, this Bud is for You. Keep the profession, professional. Physician, HEAL THYSELF.
Physicians have INCOMPETENT CHARLATANS Masquerading with the title MD. and a Badge to use as object of intimidation and threat to ordinary Hospital workers who they for whatever reasons have qualms about.
I am a foreign graduate who is not in practice as an MD but but work in critical Care settings.
The use of what I consider a most Noble profession as a tool of ignorance, witch hunt and Incompetence and Money grabbing fools, not to mention that Insurance Companies have replaced real Physicians, made me lose my appetite to pursue medical practice, as it does not mean much to me anymore.
What do you do when you spot one of your own being a Jackass, bullying Health care workers while flashing their MD Badge?
Those who enjoy belittling employees who are doing their jobs, presenting reprehensible bedside manners, intimidating employees just because they think they can, talking to patients like animals and bringing them to tears just by the way they have been treated, bullying people around them due to their own insecurities and prejudices, and plainly being unprofessional, this is for you. What are the responsibilities of other Physicians who witness these reprehensible and unprofessional behaviors to point it out and put them in check?
For your information, there are lots of trained/graduated Physicians out there working in other medical fields where their Badges do not read MD.
You are being watched very closely and who you think is around you might be someone who would hold you responsible for your charlatanism and incompetence.
Based on what I have witnessed so far, and given that I have gone through that Medical School thing with you, I would not hesitate in making sure I get your License revoked when I feel you do not deserve it and have evidence to submit to the Medical Boards.
There are lots of brilliant and very good and professional Physicians out there, but the Charlatans have to watch out.
That Radiology Tech, EKG Tech, RN, Respiratory Therapist, Nursing Assistant or whatever you decide to screw with tomorrow, might your one way ticket to a life with no Medical License.
The guys who do their job well, this Bud is for You.
Keep the profession, professional.

]]> By: JOSIANE BOUGUYON http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-2305 JOSIANE BOUGUYON Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:22:31 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-2305 IN 2003 WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSTED WITH CANCER IN MY LEFT VOCAL CHOARD, IT WAS STAGE 1. MY DOCTOR SEEMS SO CONFIDENT I TRUSTED HER, SHE HAD A GOOD ANSWSER TO ALL MY QUESTIONS. SO DEED MY ONCOLOGISTE,. EVEN WHEN I TALL HER THEN IF SHE HAVE ANY DOUTB ABOUT ME LOOSING MY TEETHS , I WILL NOT GO WITH THE RADIATIONS. BUT GET THE SURGERIE. SHE SAYS DO NOT WORRY YOUR TEETHS ARE SAVE. AGAIN I TRUSTED HER WITH MY LIFE. AFTER 35 RADIATIONS , NEXT VISITE TO MY DOCTOR, THE CANCER WAS STIL THERE, SO I WENT FOR THE SURGERIE. THE CARE I GET AT THE HOSPITAL, BY EVERY ONE INCLUDING MY DOCTOR WHO WAS MY SURGEON TO. A NIGHTMARE , NO COMPASSION , NO KNOWLEDGE, RUDENESS, UNACEPTABLE, BUT THE TREATMENT LIVE YOU SO WEEK, WITH NO WILL WHAT SO EVER. THEN YOU GO THRU THE MOTION, . BACK AT HOME , I START TO FEEL PAIN IN MY TEETHS SO I WENT TO THE DENTISTE. ONE MORE TIME I TRUSTED THE WRONG PERSON. AND MY TEETHS STARTED TO BRAKE PPIECE BY PIECE, I CONTACT MY 2 DOCTORS ONE LAUGH AND SAID , YOU GONE HAVE A NEW SCHOPER.. SHE MAKE ME CRY, THE ONCOLOGISTE GOT MAD LIKE IT WAS MY FAULTE, AND SAID IF I HAD ASK YOU TO REMOVE THEM WHAT WILL YOU SAY OF COURSE NOT I ANSWSER BACK. YOU KNEW BEFORE THE RADIATIONS. SHE TALL ME TO KEEP GOING TO THE DENTISTE AND NOT KNOWING BETTER. THAT IS WHAT I DEED. FINALY WHEN I WENT TO SEE A SPECIALISTE, THE THRUTH WAS THE CAUSE OF TO MUCH RADIATIONS. AFTER SO MUCH PAIN, AND FRUSTRATIONS, I FILE A COMPLAINTE, TO THE TMB IN OCTOBER 2005, I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG ,, IT TOOK THEM 2 AND HALF YEARS TO CLOSE MY CASE , AND TELL ME IT WAS A MISCOMUNICATION FROM HER PART,, THAT"S NO JUSTICE THERE. 6 YEARS STILL IN GREAT PAIN, FRUSTRATED, AND MAD AT THE SYSTEM . CAN NOT TRUST DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL. 2 27 2009 AND TMB. IN 2003 WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSTED WITH CANCER IN MY LEFT VOCAL CHOARD, IT WAS STAGE 1. MY DOCTOR SEEMS SO CONFIDENT I TRUSTED HER, SHE HAD A GOOD ANSWSER TO ALL MY QUESTIONS. SO DEED MY ONCOLOGISTE,. EVEN WHEN I TALL HER THEN IF SHE HAVE ANY DOUTB ABOUT ME LOOSING MY TEETHS , I WILL NOT GO WITH THE RADIATIONS. BUT GET THE SURGERIE. SHE SAYS DO NOT WORRY YOUR TEETHS ARE SAVE. AGAIN I TRUSTED HER WITH MY LIFE. AFTER 35 RADIATIONS , NEXT VISITE TO MY DOCTOR, THE CANCER WAS STIL THERE, SO I WENT FOR THE SURGERIE. THE CARE I GET AT THE HOSPITAL, BY EVERY ONE INCLUDING MY DOCTOR WHO WAS MY SURGEON TO. A NIGHTMARE , NO COMPASSION , NO KNOWLEDGE, RUDENESS, UNACEPTABLE, BUT THE TREATMENT LIVE YOU SO WEEK, WITH NO WILL WHAT SO EVER. THEN YOU GO THRU THE MOTION, . BACK AT HOME , I START TO FEEL PAIN IN MY TEETHS SO I WENT TO THE DENTISTE. ONE MORE TIME I TRUSTED THE WRONG PERSON. AND MY TEETHS STARTED TO BRAKE PPIECE BY PIECE, I CONTACT MY 2 DOCTORS ONE LAUGH AND SAID , YOU GONE HAVE A NEW SCHOPER.. SHE MAKE ME CRY, THE ONCOLOGISTE GOT MAD LIKE IT WAS MY FAULTE, AND SAID IF I HAD ASK YOU TO REMOVE THEM WHAT WILL YOU SAY OF COURSE NOT I ANSWSER BACK. YOU KNEW BEFORE THE RADIATIONS. SHE TALL ME TO KEEP GOING TO THE DENTISTE AND NOT KNOWING BETTER. THAT IS WHAT I DEED. FINALY WHEN I WENT TO SEE A SPECIALISTE, THE THRUTH WAS THE CAUSE OF TO MUCH RADIATIONS. AFTER SO MUCH PAIN, AND FRUSTRATIONS, I FILE A COMPLAINTE, TO THE TMB IN OCTOBER 2005, I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG ,, IT TOOK THEM 2 AND HALF YEARS TO CLOSE MY CASE , AND TELL ME IT WAS A MISCOMUNICATION FROM HER PART,, THAT”S NO JUSTICE THERE. 6 YEARS STILL IN GREAT PAIN, FRUSTRATED, AND MAD AT THE SYSTEM . CAN NOT TRUST DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL. 2 27 2009 AND TMB.

]]> By: Rose Marie Darrigo http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-1839 Rose Marie Darrigo Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:03:17 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-1839 My usband lost his license on 12/22/2006. He was treated with cruel and unusual punishment and singled out by the hospital he slaved for. He had no right to due process. The story is the same as those described here. We live in NY. It is a crying shame. I will never get over it. My usband lost his license on 12/22/2006. He was treated with cruel and unusual punishment and singled out by the hospital he slaved for. He had no right to due process. The story is the same as those described here. We live in NY. It is a crying shame. I will never get over it.

]]> By: Krista Nordlander, DDS http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-1767 Krista Nordlander, DDS Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:24:20 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-1767 I am not a physician, but a dentist and I know all too well what practitioners who have been attacked by state licensing boards suffer through. Briefly, I lost my Maine dental license in 2002 when the seven member Board of Dental Examiners "disciplined" me for no legitimate reason. One of the members of the board had reneged on an agreement with me over office space when she later backed out of a partnership and no longer wanted me to have her office facility as planned. This left me temporarily without a place to see my patients, so I was scrambling to find another office, but the board blamed me with patient abandonment and sought to discredit me to cover up for the board member, who was naturally never invesitgated at all. Even though it had nothing whatsoever to do with patient care, I was declared "incompetent" by the biased board, and they demanded I undergo full physical and psychiatric testing/reports at my own expense because I was "blaming others" for my problems. They had no authority to require this, and I had no income because of the situation, so they definitely manipulate the system to their own advantage. Another dentist was also similarly treated after a former disgruntled employee brought charges against her of sexual abuse (completely unsubstantiated) and other bogus charges. There are also many other cases. We need to do something to give licensed practitioners in all health professions due process and the ability to defend themselves against these kinds of ridiculous actions by corrupt boards or patients/employees seeking retribution. Quality of care doesn't even seem to matter, and many states have shortages of practitioners, so does it really help the public to eject good providers from the state? Perhaps if there are more lawsuits it will finally get the matter into the public eye, although it's too bad it has to come to that. The federal government should also be addressing the issue, but most politicians seem self-serving these days. Krista Nordlander, DDS Eastham, MA I am not a physician, but a dentist and I know all too well what practitioners who have been attacked by state licensing boards suffer through. Briefly, I lost my Maine dental license in 2002 when the seven member Board of Dental Examiners “disciplined” me for no legitimate reason. One of the members of the board had reneged on an agreement with me over office space when she later backed out of a partnership and no longer wanted me to have her office facility as planned. This left me temporarily without a place to see my patients, so I was scrambling to find another office, but the board blamed me with patient abandonment and sought to discredit me to cover up for the board member, who was naturally never invesitgated at all. Even though it had nothing whatsoever to do with patient care, I was declared “incompetent” by the biased board, and they demanded I undergo full physical and psychiatric testing/reports at my own expense because I was “blaming others” for my problems. They had no authority to require this, and I had no income because of the situation, so they definitely manipulate the system to their own advantage. Another dentist was also similarly treated after a former disgruntled employee brought charges against her of sexual abuse (completely unsubstantiated) and other bogus charges. There are also many other cases.

We need to do something to give licensed practitioners in all health professions due process and the ability to defend themselves against these kinds of ridiculous actions by corrupt boards or patients/employees seeking retribution. Quality of care doesn’t even seem to matter, and many states have shortages of practitioners, so does it really help the public to eject good providers from the state?

Perhaps if there are more lawsuits it will finally get the matter into the public eye, although it’s too bad it has to come to that. The federal government should also be addressing the issue, but most politicians seem self-serving these days.

Krista Nordlander, DDS
Eastham, MA

]]> By: Joseph Boggi http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/004/comment-page-1#comment-1674 Joseph Boggi Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:33:21 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/?p=4#comment-1674 http://www.totalqualitymedicine.com I did not see my web site pop up in the last post. So I added it to the text of this message. http://www.totalqualitymedicine.com

I did not see my web site pop up in the last post. So I added it to the text of this message.

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