who checks doctors

[Guest guest]

Just this morning, my newspaper reported on about 15 or so doctors of

all specialities in the LA area that had their licenses either suspended

or revoked for all kinds of things they did. Doctors are subject to peer

review, do have acreditation standards and educational standards, face

ethics committees, etc, and if you want to check doctor info. out, try

the American Medical Association. http://www.ama-assn.org then click on

" doctor finder " Of course this is only for the States, those CMTers in

Europe and Australia on our list may have their own regional

association. Of course, ANY unethical behavior should be reported to the

authorities at once.

Gretchen

[Guest guest]

here - in regard to who supervises the doctors. Gretchen wrote of

peer reviews, etc. I do completely agree with her, but only if we're

talking about large cities or more likely, teaching hospitals. Even

then, a lot goes into this process which can take a long time. Some

simply resign and start " business " in a different state. I've heard too

many cases like this. If a recommendation is asked for, the chances are

nothing negative appears.

Now if we're talking about smaller places, say 10 to 20 thousand

population, the procedures are much the same, with an added problem.

Most of these doctors know each other socially as well as

professionally. They tend to sweep things under the carpet even more

readily than larger cities. They know those who are much too old to be

practicing. They also know which doctors are alcoholics or drug

addicts, competent or not. Some (addicts, etc) are " sent " on long

vacations at the suggestion of their peers. Suggestion is to polite a

word. And that " vacation " is in a Rehab. far away. The incompetent ones

remain until there are just too many lawsuits, settles and simply sets

up practice in another state. Those of you in cities must think I'm

crazy, but you're not immune. There's one case that simply amazes me,

even now. The doctor set up practice in a town. Never gave him much

thought but since it wasn't a terribly long distance from my home town,

his specialty, neurology made me give some thoughts of perhaps,

consulting him. But I just kept putting it off. After a few years,

odd rumors began circulating about him. Rumors for the most part,

really mean nothing - perhaps he'd offended someone, made a mistake,

perhaps he'd rebuffed someones " invitation. " ( It is a fact that any

human being, doctor, lawyer, duggist, teacher - the list is endless,

make mistakes but consistent mistakes are different. Lawsuits are

common, too especially in high risk specialities. Somethings happen for

no reason know to us - it shouldn't have happend, but it did.) Now back

to the neurologist. A local newspaper reported a couple women were

charging him with improper conduct. The charges said he'd been touching

them in areas not related to neurology. In the end, 5 women sued him.

He'd been doing breast exams, pelvics, rectal exams and never had his

nurse in the room. His defense that I read in the paper was that he was

just using holistics - treating the whole body. His " holistics " did not

extend to his male clients, however. I don't want to say I have

anything against holistic approaches, but my understanding of holistics

is very different than his . The cases were eventually settled and he

had to attent some sessions for sexual predators. The last I heard, he

is still in his practice, which has become very small. One other thing

one of his male patients who's been my friend forever, told me the doc's

added one thing, he now mixes his own medicines - herbs and natural

things. In the back of my mind, I feel I'l read more about him someday,

again.

It is not just doctors who join forces to protect their own, most

professions do that or something similar. So, we must research those to

whom we entrust our lives, in depth to protect ourselves.