Posted on 02/21/2011 5:00:08 PM PST by bigbob
Physician actions as reported unacceptable
Statement attributable to Timothy Bartholow, MD, Senior Vice President of Member Services, Policy Planning and Physician Professional Development
Madison, Wis. (February 21, 2011) – The Wisconsin Medical Society was notified during the weekend that physicians may have been writing work excuses for people attending rallies at the state Capitol in a manner that is not consistent with acceptable medical practices. If these reports are accurate, the Society does not condone these actions under any circumstances. We are aware that the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board, the entity that licenses and disciplines physicians, has received information about these events.
The physician-patient relationship is a cornerstone for providing high quality health care. Important elements of that relationship, such as conducting proper medical evaluations of patients, should not be taken lightly. We value the trust that patients, employers and the public have placed in physicians, and we hope that these events do not undermine Wisconsin’s history of being a health care leader.
The Society will continue its efforts to maintain the high level of trust that patients, employers and the public expect of our profession. With more than 12,000 members dedicated to the best interests of their patients, the Society takes allegations like these very seriously.
For more information, contact Lisa Hildebrand at 608.442.3765.
Twenty bucks to FR says the asshole MD hypocrites don't do squat about it though.
What, if anything, does "not consistent with acceptable medical practices" mean here? Will licenses be suspended?
Just that they were embarrassed enough to say something about it speaks volumes. The investigation and sanctions will probably happen “under deep cover of anonymity.” We will probably hear that the likes of Dr. Orial has “voluntarily renounced the practice of medicine in Wisconsin.” Then they’ll pop up again in, say, Illinois.
My wife found out her physician was one of those passing out fraudulent excuses. She changed her physician today.
I’d bet that abortion-monger Orial has been a thorn in their side for a long time and they’re itching for a chance to show her the door. She’ll get an offer she can’t refuse.
It's not "unacceptable." It's FRAUD. It's illegal.
If all of the people involved in this whose pictures appeared on the 'net, aren't indicted, convicted, fired from their government jobs, and do at least 30 days in prison for each count (doctors, multiple counts), then we might as well throw in the towel; it's over.
ML/NJ
Whoo boy that’s uncomfortably close to the action. Good thing she found out this doc was a louse now, rather than when deathly ill.
Have any of those caught on camera saying they were writing bogus excuse notes been ID’d yet? You can bet if they were Repubs/conservatives, the “media” would have their names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses by now and would be filming themselves camped out at these “physician’s” offices and homes waiting to “confront” them (read: ambush).
In FL, all information from medical disciplinary hearing boards become public record and are available on the net. Don’t know about WI.
“Twenty bucks to FR says the asshole MD hypocrites don’t do squat about it though.”
Why should they? The Libsral administration at the University of Wisconsin has already said they intend to “investigate” the matter.
Does anyone know what the word “Investigate” means at the UofW these days?
“It’s not “unacceptable.” It’s FRAUD. It’s illegal.”
Yes, any employee that turns in one of these fake excuses MUST be terminated. There is no other acceptable or reasonable outcome. Absolutely anyone in the private sector could and should expect to immediately lose their job for turning in a fake doctors excuse. That’s the same as theft. Fire them.
The Doctors should be held accountable as well and I would venture to say they should probably lose their license permanently.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
No bet.
Who is on the look-out for all the bills these docs submit for all this curbside medical practice? If it was done pro bono, surely there was something, however slight, in Milwaukee where a few hours of pro bono doctoring would have been more useful than doctors helping people defraud their employers.
If it was my physician, I would be terminating my business in writing, giving the specific reasons. Copies would be going to the business office of the clinic network, and my insurance carrier.
“My wife found out her physician was one of those passing out fraudulent excuses. She changed her physician today.”
No problem. Doctors don’t have much trouble finding patients. You guys could have more with the doctor by somehow publicizing what he was doing, and maybe filing a complaint - perhaps malpractice, since the doctor does not appear to know how to conduct a proper physical. For example, what if your wife had a medical condition, but the inept doctor, who obviously doesn’t know how to do a physical could have missed it. Now your wife (and you) must live with the STRESS of not knowing if she’s really healthy. LOL.
I wonder if any of the “doctors” issuing these excuses, out in public, potentially on camera, to their “patients”, are in violation of HIPAA.
It is possible to make a fraud report to Medicare and Tricare concerning the fraudulent actions of these providers.
Both agencies must investigate it and if they decide that these doctors, (providers), have performed unethical medical examinations and do not meet the “minimum” requirements for safety of patients, they can be suspended from all federally funded medical systems.
Since they are University of Wisconsin Medical employees, the medical facility would be required to terminate them or lose their Medicare/Tricare status.
I doubt that the Medical facilities would want to lose their “hospital provider” status since that is normally a large part of any hospital’s funding.
Medicare and Tricare provide money to all teaching hospitals to offset the cost of training new doctors and nurses.
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