Doctors in Union Sick Note Scam Contend Street Corner Exams Better Than Office Visits

MacIver Institute ^ | 2-9-12 | MacIver News Service

[bigbob]

Doctors who handed out sick notes to protesters while on the corner of Mifflin and Hamilton streets last year claim protestors received more thorough examinations on the street in public than they would have at an office visit. This revelation was discoverd in an examination of documents obtained by the MacIver News Service through an open records request.

The Medical Examining Board issued reprimands to seven doctors in October, who had given hundreds of sick notes to protesters last February so they wouldn’t get in trouble for skipping work.

The MacIver News Service was the first to report on the incident with a video catching the doctors in the act. The video included one of the doctor’s examinations, in which the videographer gave a list of trivial symptoms. Dr. Shropeshire said he should take some time off of work and wrote him a note.

Scores of complaints soon flowed to the Medical Examining Board, including a dozen from other physicians who saw the news reports.

“This is not medicine, and the doctors standing on the street issuing these fraudulent medical excuses are completely unethical in doing so,” wrote Dr. Paul Maguire.

However, during the investigation, the doctors not only defended their actions, but they claimed the exams they provided on the street corner were superior to examinations they perform in their own offices.

[bigbob]

And what does that tell you about these doctors? Maybe they're just downgrading the quality of their services in anticipation of Obamacare?

The light punishments handed out for their despicable behavior during last years protests at the Capitol were the responsibility of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board. Just out of curiosity, I wonder how many of those on this Board are anti-Walker?

[G Larry]

GOOD!

Let’s deny these doctors the tax write off for their office expenses.....

I mean.....don’t you believe them?

[bigbob]

the encouraging thing is Glen Grothman’s comments about reforming the Board. This is what’s going to eventually happen to the worthless and incompetent “Government Accountability Board” which replaced the “Board of Elections” in Wisconsin. And there is strong sentiment for reforming the recall laws too, to prevent abuse.

Enough people in WI have seen the underhanded crap that goes on and unlike us in IL, they still have a chance to fix it.

[WayneS]

...these are probably the same doctors who think the old ethical tenet which prohibits intentionally killing one’s patients is outdated.

[Pollster1]

the doctors not only defended their actions, but they claimed the exams they provided on the street corner were superior to examinations they perform in their own offices.

If true, the doctors are not competent to practice medicine. If they are lying under oath, then perhaps they belong in the Oval Office (where perjury is a prerequisite for democrats), but they have no business serving as physicians.

[Joe the Pimpernel]

If that’s true, then ‘back-alley’ abortions are probably better than the ones you buy at Planned Parenthood.

[Lou L]

...these are probably the same doctors who think the old ethical tenet which prohibits intentionally killing one’s patients is outdated.

Yes, Hippocrates was just some old white guy, trying to impose ancient Greek values on today's modern medicine.

[In Maryland]

I think the public needs to be warned that the following doctors have admitted their standard of care is so low they claim a street-corner conversation is better than a visit to their offices.

Adam H. Balin

Mark B. Beamsley

Hannah M. Keevil

Bernard F. Micke

Kathleen A. Oriel

James H. Shropshire

Louis A. Sanner

I would have suspended them for the note scam; defending it as "better than an office visit" might have led me to pull their license altogether. Despicable - absolutely no respect for the standards of their profession.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Wisconsin Doctors Giving Better Street Exams Than in Their Offices Ping

If you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list, just FReep Mail me.

[oh8eleven]

Doctors ... claim protestors received more thorough examinations on the street in public than they would have at an office visit.
I'll bet they don't meet TSA standards. LOL ...

[afraidfortherepublic]

These doctors belong on a special “Wall of Shame”:

The doctors reprimanded by the MEB, and who issued fake sick notes to anyone who wanted one, with only a cursory question and answer ‘session’ are:

Adam H. Balin
Mark B. Beamsley
Hannah M. Keevil
Bernard F. Micke
Kathleen A. Oriel
James H. Shropshire
Louis A. Sanner

Ronni L. Hayon and Patrick A. McKenna had received administrative warnings and were involved in the same incident.

[Lou L]

However, during the investigation, the doctors not only defended their actions, but they claimed the exams they provided on the street corner were superior to examinations they perform in their own offices

The sad thing is, these fraudulent doctors have lowered their standards to that of a cheap politician. Rather than recognizing their abuses once called out for them, and hanging their heads in shame, they brazenly defend them with the weakest of arguments.

And by the way, the fact that you gave them a street-corner examination "better than they'd receive in your office," does not mean your medical assessment is legitimate.

[Peet]

From the article:
the doctors not only defended their actions, but they claimed the exams they provided on the street corner were superior to examinations they perform in their own offices.

Joe the Pimpernel:
If that’s true, then ‘back-alley’ abortions are probably better than the ones you buy at Planned Parenthood.

Comment of the month!

[ryan71]

Let's just go along and say they were really sick...

Why were they on the street in the freezing cold?

If they had the strength to be there certainly they had the strength to be at work.

[rlmorel]

Wow. I am often reminded of the old saw “50% of doctors graduate in the lower half of their class” but these clowns really should just stop talking.

Not that I want them to stop talking… with every word they speak they dig their own hole deeper and deeper.

It’s almost comical. No, wait… it IS comical. Well, it would be more comical if they actually didn’t have medical licenses and unsuspecting people under their care.

[nikos1121]

I’m an occupational physician. From time to time I will get a patient who is sent to me by their company because they have a “note” from a doctor saying they need to be off work. When I look into it, usually it’s some unsuspecting doctor who has treated the patient based on the medical history not the examinatin itself.

In summary, the system is based on honesty. If ANYONE in the system is dishonest the system breaks down.

In the instance with Union Sick Notes, you have to begin with a dishonest patient approaching a doctor, naive enough to accept the symptom of “not being able to work” as legit.

Is the doctor knowingly dishonest? Perhaps, but on the other hand he or she might be just stupid.

[Sal]

Can you imagine how crappy the office exams must be that these quacks perform if a couple quick questions on a street corner are better than their office exams?

When you add in the fact that the “patients” feel just fine out there in freezing weather but “couldn't” go to work, the issue of FRAUD on both the patients’ side and the doctors’ side should become a major issue. The fraudulent teachers should be fired with no chance of a rehire.

I think every doctor who participated in this outrage should have ALL their recommendations for procedures covered by medicare or private insurance investigated and all fraud uncovered be prosecuted!

[In Maryland]

We are talking about notes being given to people who were staging public protests, which the doctors knew or should have known. In fact, these doctors apparently traveled to where protests were being held and then certified that the protestor was too sick to work.

There are a lot of times doctors are bamboozled by patients - but I don't think this is one of them.

[boop]

These doctors are complete idiots. Did they do ANY kind of "exam"? NO! They just talked to the patients and generated a sick note. Did they document the "exams"? No. Did they conform to HIPPA? Hell no! You can't just talk to a patient on the street with no privacy whatsoever. Each and every one of these notes is evidence of violation, and could be easily prosecutable and the docs could be fined thousands of dollars per incident.

Heck, in some ERs they are taking out the curtains, because of patient privacy. The patient in the next bed can hear everything.

These "doctors" behaved unethically, and illegally. They should be prosecuted.

[Chode]

iirc the quality of the exam wasn't in question... the DIAGNOSIS was!!!