Critical Timing - Saving our Doctors

[Guest guest]

Permission to post; please remove my message if you intend to fax or

send this letter to a doctor.

To All;

Many of you have not heard from me for some time; I am sorry to be

out of touch but trust it is not because I have abandon the fight.

This bill is currently in the health committee. The fate of this

bill will soon be decided, and it is in Senator Hannon's hands. This

bill affects EVERY physician that practices medicine in New York

State. The Lyme community already knows the devastating effect of

the OPMC's unchallenged authority in NY, and this bill reflects our

dedication to ending unjust prosecutions. What happens in NY will

set a precedent for other states, and trust that the stakes are high.

We do NOT need Lyme- literate physicians to respond, as they already

have. It is imperative to get the letter below to EVERY physician

that you can possibly reach in NY immediately. Please do what you

can and be creative; do you have friends or relatives in NY? Do you

have a fax machine and yellow pages? Cut and paste the letter

below, and get it to every physician you can.

This bill not only provides due process for all physicians, but will

also help to cease the unfettered persecution of Lyme treating

doctors. No one needs to remind you that lives are at stake; it is

likely that most of you already know this horror all too well. I

wish all of you good health, and the future freedom to pursue it.

Sincerely,

Regina

neurochem1@...

cut and paste to send

You know it has happened to other physicians.

You do your best, and one day you open the mail to find a letter from

the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct asking for

a few charts…

SUPPORT Senate Bill 5221

By Hon. Seward

The OPMC Reform Bill To make Professional Medical Conduct honest and

fair

Currently there is a wellspring of public protest against OPMC

investigating and penalizing doctors under suspicious circumstances.

Patients in the thousands have signed petitions and written letters

mourning the loss of their doctors when OPMC has prosecuted vendettas

among colleagues, ignored exculpatory evidence, or used its police

power to aid insurers in dispute with doctors over medical benefits.

The Assembly bill, A.4274a, by Health Com. Chairman Gottfried, has

now passed 3 years in a row. Meanwhile, the Appellate Division of the

State Supreme Court has escalated their criticisms of OPMC behavior

and other states are refusing to follow OPMC findings against

physicians, citing lack of OPMC due process.

What would fix the system so that both the good doctors and the bad

doctors would find the justice they deserve? The American solution,

since the Declaration of Independence, is DUE PROCESS.

S.5221 would provide due-process and better peer review to doctors:

§ More timely notice to doctors of the existence, progress, and

the

facts behind investigations against them

so that they may mediate or settle disputes sooner and improve

patient care.

§ Give the investigative committees of the Board of Professional

Medical Conduct (BPMC) more control

over investigations and charges now controlled by unaccountable OPMC

staff.

§ Miranda-type warning before doctors agree to submit to interview

by

OPMC investigative staff.

§ Improved Opportunity for mediation and settlement more quickly,

well before expensive and time-consuming adversarial hearings begin,

which can sooner improve patient care.

§ Rules for the inclusion of medical and scientific literature

evidence -- which is currently rarely admitted; exculpatory evidence -

- which is currently ignored; as well as new evidence that would

clear a good doctor's name -- which is currently not allowed at all!

§ Disclosure of the qualifications/experience/affiliations of

experts

relied on by both parties.

§ Require the appeal board (ARB) to return a case for rehearing

when

it disagrees with dismissal of charges

by the hearing panel that actually heard the doctor, instead of

simply overturning the dismissal as they have.

Due process is the most basic protection against wrongful prosecution

our Constitution guarantees, at the same time, it assures that the

full merits for prosecution, and for defense, are clear.

PLEASE CONTACT THE STATE SENATOR WHO IS THE KEY TO PASSAGE!

Hon. Kemp Hannon

Chairman, Senate Health Committee

1600 Ave Westbury, NY 11590

phone:516-222-0068 / fax:516-745-0403

Please contact him today -- He cares what you think!

[Guest guest]

Hi Regina,

Is this just for Doctors in New York, or can doctors in any state

reply. Or, is there someone in each state that looks into bills of

this sort?

Thanks,

> Permission to post; please remove my message if you intend to fax

or

> send this letter to a doctor.

>

> To All;

> Many of you have not heard from me for some time; I am sorry to be

> out of touch but trust it is not because I have abandon the fight.

>

> This bill is currently in the health committee. The fate of this

> bill will soon be decided, and it is in Senator Hannon's hands.

This

> bill affects EVERY physician that practices medicine in New York

> State. The Lyme community already knows the devastating effect of

> the OPMC's unchallenged authority in NY, and this bill reflects our

> dedication to ending unjust prosecutions. What happens in NY will

> set a precedent for other states, and trust that the stakes are

high.

>

> We do NOT need Lyme- literate physicians to respond, as they

already

> have. It is imperative to get the letter below to EVERY physician

> that you can possibly reach in NY immediately. Please do what you

> can and be creative; do you have friends or relatives in NY? Do

you

> have a fax machine and yellow pages? Cut and paste the

letter

> below, and get it to every physician you can.

>

> This bill not only provides due process for all physicians, but

will

> also help to cease the unfettered persecution of Lyme treating

> doctors. No one needs to remind you that lives are at stake; it is

> likely that most of you already know this horror all too well. I

> wish all of you good health, and the future freedom to pursue it.

> Sincerely,

> Regina

> neurochem1@a...

>

> cut and paste to send

>

>

> You know it has happened to other physicians.

>

> You do your best, and one day you open the mail to find a letter

from

> the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct asking

for

> a few charts…

>

> SUPPORT Senate Bill 5221

> By Hon. Seward

> The OPMC Reform Bill To make Professional Medical Conduct honest

and

> fair

>

> Currently there is a wellspring of public protest against OPMC

> investigating and penalizing doctors under suspicious

circumstances.

> Patients in the thousands have signed petitions and written letters

> mourning the loss of their doctors when OPMC has prosecuted

vendettas

> among colleagues, ignored exculpatory evidence, or used its police

> power to aid insurers in dispute with doctors over medical benefits.

>

> The Assembly bill, A.4274a, by Health Com. Chairman Gottfried, has

> now passed 3 years in a row. Meanwhile, the Appellate Division of

the

> State Supreme Court has escalated their criticisms of OPMC behavior

> and other states are refusing to follow OPMC findings against

> physicians, citing lack of OPMC due process.

>

> What would fix the system so that both the good doctors and the bad

> doctors would find the justice they deserve? The American solution,

> since the Declaration of Independence, is DUE PROCESS.

>

> S.5221 would provide due-process and better peer review to doctors:

> § More timely notice to doctors of the existence, progress, and

> the

> facts behind investigations against them

> so that they may mediate or settle disputes sooner and improve

> patient care.

> § Give the investigative committees of the Board of Professional

> Medical Conduct (BPMC) more control

> over investigations and charges now controlled by unaccountable

OPMC

> staff.

> § Miranda-type warning before doctors agree to submit to interview

> by

> OPMC investigative staff.

> § Improved Opportunity for mediation and settlement more quickly,

> well before expensive and time-consuming adversarial hearings

begin,

> which can sooner improve patient care.

> § Rules for the inclusion of medical and scientific literature

> evidence -- which is currently rarely admitted; exculpatory

evidence -

> - which is currently ignored; as well as new evidence that would

> clear a good doctor's name -- which is currently not allowed at all!

> § Disclosure of the qualifications/experience/affiliations of

> experts

> relied on by both parties.

> § Require the appeal board (ARB) to return a case for rehearing

> when

> it disagrees with dismissal of charges

> by the hearing panel that actually heard the doctor, instead of

> simply overturning the dismissal as they have.

> Due process is the most basic protection against wrongful

prosecution

> our Constitution guarantees, at the same time, it assures that the

> full merits for prosecution, and for defense, are clear.

>

> PLEASE CONTACT THE STATE SENATOR WHO IS THE KEY TO PASSAGE!

> Hon. Kemp Hannon

> Chairman, Senate Health Committee

> 1600 Ave Westbury, NY 11590

> phone:516-222-0068 / fax:516-745-0403

> Please contact him today -- He cares what you think!

[Guest guest]

Hi ;

Thanks for asking. The OPMC is the New York regulatory arm of the

NYDOH, so they will best listen to NY physicians. If you have any

realtionship with doctors either in NY or in your own state, the best

thing to do is to get your docs to contact NY doctors. I don't know

if you are aware of the whole issue, and maybe someone could post the

history of all this. Each state has it's own way of regulating

physicians, and while several states have lost lyme doctors by this

unfair proscution, New York currentlyhas the highest incidence of

doctors who treat lyme being perscuted by an unregulated agency.

This does effect every state in the long run, so it behooves everyone

to ask their physicians to call any physicians in New York to let

them know that this bill is being decided upon right now. It is also

possible for those in other states to try and contact doctors in New

York.

A handy print-out of the letter/flyer in " Word " format is now

available at http://www.lymeinfo.net/sbill5221.doc

I know Ellen posted a site on one of the board that has access for

anyone to contact NY physicians, but for the life of me, I cannot

remember where that post is.

Thanks for whatever you can do. Even though this is targeted in NY

right now, it has a huge impact on every state, especially for those

physicians with enough moral integrity to treat us.

Sincerely,

Regina

> Hi Regina,

> Is this just for Doctors in New York, or can doctors in any state

> reply. Or, is there someone in each state that looks into bills of

> this sort?

>

> Thanks,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

hi ;

I responded to you over an hour ago, but my message hasnt' hit. It

was rather detailed, so I wait awhile to see if it does before I

rewrite it all again.

Thanks so much

Regina

> Hi Regina,

> Is this just for Doctors in New York, or can doctors in any state

> reply. Or, is there someone in each state that looks into bills of

> this sort?

>

> Thanks,

>

>

>