Fw: look at all the $$ the AMA has jeepers and we pay astronomical bucks for 5 min

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----- Original Message ----- From: ParfumGigi@...

Tony Lambert 'Tiger'

Cc: MAM-NSIF@... ; IceMaidenZ@... ; lillian45usa2000@... ; MMRM1014@... ; Eagle5xV@...

Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2001 12:07 AM

Subject: look at all the $$ the AMA has jeepers and we pay astronomical bucks for 5 min

AMA Chief Files Suit Against Trustees By HERBERT G. McCANN .c The Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) - The chief executive officer of the American Medical Association has filed a lawsuit alleging the organization took away his power to fire the head of the legal department after questions arose about a multimillion-dollar land deal. Dr. E. Ratcliffe 's lawsuit was filed Monday, the second day of the AMA's annual meeting, at which it is voting on the policies of the nation's largest doctor's organization. claims trustees took away his power to fire the organization's general counsel after he complained the lawyer failed to exercise due diligence in the sale of AMA property in downtown Chicago. ``When I pointed fingers and asked questions about why we were leaving millions of dollars on the table, the board of trustees accused me of flouting their authority and they subsequently threatened my job,'' said in a statement. claimed a deal to sell the property for $23.5 million was signed in 1998, approximately $13.5 million below fair market value. The deal was closed two years later. In a statement, the AMA board of trustees called 's lawsuit frivolous. The suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, alleged the AMA's in-house legal counsel, Ile, failed to have the property appraised, failed to re-negotiate the deal while property prices were soaring and failed to provide sufficient remedies to the AMA in case of a buyer's breach. said when he tried to present the facts concerning the sale to the entire board of trustees, the board leadership barred him from the meeting. He also said that instead of firing Ile, the board allowed him to resign with a generous severance package. is asking the court to find the AMA breached his own employment agreement, thereby discharging him, and give him severance pay equal to three years salary. ``I'm going to stick around until they tell me don't stick around anymore,'' said Tuesday morning outside a closed-door session with delegates at the annual meeting. He would not discuss the lawsuit, In a statement, the board said that although the matters alleged in 's complaint occurred months ago, he first notified the board of his concerns on Wednesday. ``Prior to filing his lawsuit, Dr. had made significant monetary demands on the board, offering to forgo litigation and resign from his employment,'' the board said. ``The board, completely confident that it had not violated Dr. 's rights, rejected Dr. 's settlement demands.'' The board said remains executive vice president and CEO. It also said it would have no further comment. Dr. Jack Lewin, president of the California Medical Society, said he had not seen the lawsuit, but was suspicious of its timing. ``The method hurts the profession and hurts doctors,'' Lewin said outside the closed-door meeting. ``The timing looks very political.'' This dispute is the latest in recent years to roil the organization, which puts its membership at 290,357 - about one-third of the nation's 800,000-plus doctors, residents and medical students. was hired in 1998 following a shake-up from the AMA's failed endorsement deal with Sunbeam. The highly criticized deal had called for the AMA to endorse the manufacturer's products in exchange for including the organization's educational materials with them. In the aftermath, five AMA staff members were dismissed, including Dr. Seward, former executive vice president. In 1999, fired Dr. Lundberg, editor in chief of The Journal of the American Medical Association for 17 years, after the journal published a survey of college students' sexual attitudes that coincided with President Clinton's impeachment trial. He said Lundberg inappropriately interjected the organization into a political debate. You'd think with that type of wealth, they certainly could do better at helping toxically poisoned individuals, wonder how much of the $$ came from the pharmaceutical company's & we know who else has paid everyone but the victims! BOO AMA!! hug to you guys(((((((((((((((((( frown to the AMA ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( oath huh? gigi 06/19: AOL Health News: AMA Chief Files Suit Against Trustees AP-NY-06-19-01 1249EDT Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.