Here is the written testimony submitted by Public Health Commissioner J. Robert Galvin in OPPOSITION to the CT Lyme Bill. His opposition is in contrast to the SUPPORT given the bill by the CT State Medical Society and it's 7,000 members.
If after reading this, you'd like to send comments to Dr. Galvin, his email address is [email protected]. You may also wish to write to the governor, who appoints the commissioners. Governor Jodi Rell's email address is [email protected].
_____________________________
STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Testimony Presented Before the Public Health Committee, February 6, 2009
J. Robert Galvin, MD, MPH, MBA, Commissioner, 860-509-7101
House Bill 6200 - An Act Concerning the Use of Long-Term Antibiotics for the Treatment of Lyme Disease ______________________________________________
The Department of Public Health opposes House Bill 6200.
House Bill 6200 would amend the statutes to provide that a physician may prescribe, administer or dispense antibiotic therapy for therapeutic purposes to a person diagnosed with and having symptoms of Lyme Disease if a diagnosis and treatment plan has been documented in the physician's medical record for that patient, and would prohibit the Department of Public Health from seeking disciplinary action before the Connecticut Medical Examining Board against a physician solely for engaging in this practice.
The current scope of practice in Connecticut does not necessarily preclude the prescription, administration or dispensing of antibiotic therapy to a person who has been diagnosed with Lyme disease or any other disease or condition. Simply documenting a diagnosis and treatment plan in a patient's medical record is not, however, the sole basis for determining whether an applicable course of treatment is appropriate.
The Department does not pursue disciplinary action against physicians solely for prescribing, administering or dispensing antibiotic therapy for therapeutic purposes to a person diagnosed with and having symptoms of Lyme disease or any other disease or condition.
Under the current statutes, the Department investigates complaints involving physician practice. The statutes also identify the grounds for which the Department may seek disciplinary action.
The investigative process is designed to gather all relevant information and carefully evaluate the particulars for each case and includes an opportunity for the physician to provide his or her side of the story. In the event that the investigation relates to a particular specialty area, the process also includes consultation with subject matter experts.
Once a decision is made to seek a disciplinary action, the allegations are presented before the Connecticut Medical Examining Board. A formal hearing conducted pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act provides the physician with the opportunity to challenge the Department's allegations and offer any and all evidence and testimony to support his or her position.
The Board then makes a determination as to whether or not the allegations have been proven and, if applicable, issues a disciplinary finding.
The unintended consequences of this bill will compromise the Department's ability to protect patients with Lyme Disease. The proposed bill provides the Department with no flexibility in reviewing complaints and alleged violations, particularly in cases where the care being provided to a patient deviates from current evidence-based practice.
National standards for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases and conditions change from time to time. The practice of medicine is complex, and as such each complaint must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Thank you for your consideration of the Department's views on this bill.
[ 02-20-2009, 11:44 PM: Message edited by: paulieinct ]
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
paul, HOG WASH letter!! rating! SEWER!
i misread this 1st time and thought it was IN SUPPORT; got to wake myself up on this one as i'm writing a reply now.
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sent to galvin and gov. dell....
Robert,
I am very disgusted, angry, about your HOG WASH letter you wrote Conn's. Dept. of Health Commission about the LYME DISEASE BILLS!
NO THANKS from me and all other lyme patients NATIONWIDE~~ ( :
I'm from IOWA, but have had chronic lyme for 39 years; 34.5 years MISDIAGNOSED by 40-50 Iowa drs!
Iowa does NOT have any full-time LLMDS, lyme literate mds here. We have a few beginning to learn through their patients and other llmds in OTHER states.
So we are forced to go out of state for good and prompt LLMD treatment.
Our chronic LLMDS must be able to treat us without fear of repercussions for an extended long-term antibiotic treatments or other alternative treatments which the ILADS, infectious disease drs. who REFUSE to acknowledge that helps us get on the road to REMISSION!
edited.. ILADS removed from beginning, but too late after the fact to galvin and governor...thx paulie for catching that!! hug... .
IDSA purposely would not let our chroinc LLMDS or scientists be a part of their previous 14 panel which decided the 06 lyme guidelines. SHAME ON THEM.
We all deserve QUALITY OF LIFE just like cancer, hiv, and aids patients!
It is these llmds who are putting their lives on the line to treat out and jeopardise themselves by their state's health dept. filing CHARGES against them.
I am really disgusted of your charges on our no. 1 kids llmd, Dr. Charles Jones fighting his 3rd year of charges from your dept. to a tune of $100,000 PER MONTH OUT OF POCKET.
Dr. Jones has lost everything but keeps plugging along to treat our lyme kids to give them QUALITY OF LIFE.
We have donated $$$ plus for his lawyers. We need this money for our OWN llmd appts., treatments, labs, xrays, MEDS and supplements, etc. PLUS our of our state travel expenses: gas, lodging, and food!
LYME disease was named after your own LYME, CONN., but you folks just do NOT get the severity of this God-awful disease that robs us of:
* our job that we lose due to too much time off work and used sick leave; * our health insurance which would help pay for perhaps SOME of our lyme expenses if CDC recoginized our llmd treatment guidelines so our HEALTH insurance cos. would pay their FAIR SHARE!; * spouses divorcing us; * our children being taken away from us; * our homes causing us to be HOMELESS; * bankruptcy; * SUICIDES ... they gave up all hope due to 24/7 pain and dispair they are feeling and the health systems FAILURE to act on their behalf; * and normal EARLY deaths due to many complications that chronic lyme/co-infections give us.
The Conn. Health Dept. has done the national chronic lyme/co-infection patients a huge disservice and continues to do so on Dr. Jones case and any others I'm not aware of in YOUR state.
Dr. Jones could be saving more KIDS LIVES if not spending all those hours at the monthly meetings as well as needed $$$ elsewhere!
We chose to keep him practicing as long AS HE WISHES TOO to save our kids lyme lives!
Betty G
[ 02-21-2009, 03:21 AM: Message edited by: bettyg ]
Posted by paulieinct (Member # 17514) on :
Excellent letter, Betty.
Just one thing - your sentence "ILADS purosely would not let........" You meant to say IDSA?
Galvin needs to be held accountable for ignoring the epidemic in this State. I will also be writing to Governor Rell, and letting her know how shameful it is that her own Commissioner is fighting real attempts to contain this epidemic. Also an FOI request for the salary that this jerk earns.
Good job!
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
paulie, thx for catching my flub up! yes, meant idsa/infectious drs!
remember, i wrote a whole letter thinking this was GOOD letter, then i reread it...boy did i MISREAD everything so missed that !!
paulie, thanks for the compliment ! time to log off...
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rating! SEWER!