protected class/ bad docs

[Guest guest]

So many good docs, thank goodness.

However, re bad docs, sometimes a brief letter, stating the bad situation and

sent to the new state board of physicians with a copy to that state's

governor is sufficient. You can sign it 'concerned citizen.' Sometimes, nothing

can

be done until or unless the doc does something negligent. But, you can ask the

board and governor's office to review the docs application for license in that

state to see if he/she told the truth. There are several questions on the app

forms for licensure that ask directly, Have you ever had privileges suspended

at a hospital? have you ever been convicted of an offense? have you ever been

charged with conduct under the accepted standards for practice? have you ever

been grieved against or been a defendant in a law suit? If the person answers

yes, the board will ask for documentation that the alcoholism, drug

addiction, substandard practices have been mediated completely. If the person

lies, or

withholds the truth and the boards find out about it, the person will not be

allowed to practice until they can prove themselves, via various means, to be

fit--which might involve drug rehab to the court's satisfaction, close

supervision of all of one's work by a competent doctor who will report on the

'doc in

trouble' to the board and governor on a regular basis.

At the state grievance board I work for, we receive many complaints about

everything from trivial/absurd -- he didn't seem to smile-- to egregious--

sexual

intrusion, unnecessary services, wrong diagnoses, etc. About half of the

grievances are found to be so and bound over to the attorney general's office

for

legal intervention. About 25% we have no jurisdiction (but a different board

often does,). And about 25% are dismissed as 'no violation,' for either it

cannot be proved, or it simply was not found to be true. My point is about

10--15

% of our complaints come from people who sign themselves " anonymous. "

Regardless, we have to take up the complain and find them often to be valid.

Just my 2 cent's worth.

love,

ceep

In a message dated 12/21/03 4:12:10 AM, Graduate-OSSG writes:

<< From: watnext@...

Subject: Re: Re: Upsetting story on CBS news

Yes, Amber! That's exactly what's happening all over the country. The law

protects the doctors, and it's very hard for patients to find out if the

doctor

has lost any malpractice suits or been sanctioned somehow. And, to the best

of my knowledge, the hospitals don't even have access to much of that

information. All they have is word of mouth, and if it's across state lines,

that's a

long way to travel.

Again, that recent case of the nurse in NJ who killed all those people, he

was thrown out of several hospitals in PA (right next door to NJ), had been

brought up on murder charges, etc., and the hospital had no knowledge of

it....very, very scary.

in NJ >>