In large part, this is because doctors throughout the country have been scared off by the persecution of leading Lyme doctors in New York State by the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC).

On Tuesday , May 18th, more than 50 Lyme patients went to the NYS capitol to lobby for two bills that would save our doctors from continued persecution by the OPMC. (The bills are the OPMC Refrm bill, S5221, and the Mayersohn bill, A7365a)

We need these bills to protect NY LLMDs.

Protecting the NYS doctors from persecution could finally end the climate of fear about treating chronic Lyme disease, IN EVERY STATE IN THIS COUNTRY.

We had a big impact on the legislature. The word from that mysterious place known as "behind the scenes" is that Lobby Day moved the negotiations to a new level of intensity.

We are closer than we have ever been to getting legislation that will protect our doctors!

But we are not there yet.

This means that we have REALLY got to put on the grassroots pressure for the next few weeks. �

The legislature is now scheduled to recess for
the year on June 22nd.

If you want to be sure you will have your doctors next year, please , please just consider the next weeks as a period that needs to be dedicated to activism to save our medical care.

TWO ACTIONS ARE REQUESTED FROM LYME DISEASE PATIENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

1) WRITING GOVERNOR PATAKI.
You can make the following points:
Definitely begin your letter by asking him to support both the OPMC Reform bill, S5221, and the Mayersohn bill, A7365a.

You can tell him your Lyme story emphasizing how important your current doctor has been and what you fear would happen if he/she could no longer treat you.

DO NOT MENTION THE NAME OF YOUR PHYSICIAN - UNLESS IT IS DR. BURRASCANO.

You can tell Pataki that two thirds of the doctors in NYS who treat chronic Lyme disease have been targeted by the OPMC, and the result is that doctors across the country have been afraid to treat chronic Lyme disease.

Both bills you are asking him to support would require the OPMC to follow due process and ,thereby, enable doctors to defend themselves against unjust prosecution by the OPMC.

To Write To The Governor:
Governor George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

518-474-8390

To Email The Governor: http://161.11.3.75/
Please include your mailing address.

2) KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON SENATOR HANNON BY GETTING NYS PHYSICIANS TO CALL OR WRITE HIM.

Please continue to contact physicians in New York State asking that they urge Senator Hannon to pass the OPMC Reform Bill, S5221, (This means non-Lyme doctors, since Hannon needs to know that ALL doctors support this bill).

a) Print out the flyer at www.healthlobby.com/OPMCreformLetter.htm

This explains the essence of the OPMC Reform bill to physicians who might not otherwise know that the bill exists. It asks them to contact Senator Hannon in support of the bill.

b) Get a list of physicians in NYS and send the flyer to them. No need to write anything with the flyer; it is self explanatory.

Go to http://yellowpages.superpages.com and type in any city in NYS. Type physicians and surgeons where it asks for a keyword, and you will get lists of NYS doctors.

c) Stamps. Everybody is pitching in on this project. People in Europe have sent me stamps to give to patients who can stuff and address hundreds of envelopes but are unable to pay for so many stamps

Please email me ASAP with your address if you want me to send you stamps .

d) If you can fax the flyer, please contact Maureen at [email protected] and she will send you a list of fax numbers for NYS doctors.

e) If you live in New York State and are physically able, you can canvas he offices of doctors with the flyers.
Introduce yourself to the receptionist as a member of an advocacy group of doctors and patients working for legislation to give physicians due process in defending themselves aganst unjust investigations by the state disciplinary board,the OPMC.

Ask that the flyer be brought to the doctor's attention. Tell the receptionist that we think the doctor would want to know about the bill so that he or she could contact the key Senator to get the bill passed.

If you get in to see the doctor, then you can explain about the OPMC harassment of Lyme doctors that brought you to this activism. If they ask questions about the bill that you are unable to answer, refer them to the website on the flyer, or say you will get back to them. � Then email me with the question .
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Thanks to all of you. The increase in these grass roots actions is absolutely essential at this time. A lot of what happens with these bills now will depend on it.
Ellen

Note: All of us and our friends and family all over the country can write to Governor Pataki (above)!!

Please, any support group leaders, reprint Ellen's Alert on your lists..

We also need the faxing and writing to NY Docs to continue..the senator most influential in passing this Bill is only moved by the doctor contact he has recieved, so we have to keep that part up.

Cheers,
Mo

We have the best known Lyme docs right here in NYS. The persecution of Dr. Burrascano by the OPMC caused waves throughout the world. Many doctors stopped treating us.

Doctors who might be interested in Lyme disease have their eyes on what happens in NYS.
If more of our docs are charged with medical conduct, you can count on another major exodus from the ranks of Lyme docs throughout the country.

Doctors want to feel that they will not lose their licenses if they treat chronic Lyme disease.

All that is required is writing a letter to Pataki and sending some flyers to doctors. You can even just pick one of these actions and just play it to the hilt, really do it.

This is the time to ask friends and family to also write letters to Pataki.

Email is on it's way.

Hope I can help.

quote:

---

Originally posted by ellenlu:
If you are new to this issue, I know it's probably hard to understand how it affects your medical care in other states.

We have the best known Lyme docs right here in NYS. The persecution of Dr. Burrascano by the OPMC caused waves throughout the world. Many doctors stopped treating us.

Doctors who might be interested in Lyme disease have their eyes on what happens in NYS.
If more of our docs are charged with medical conduct, you can count on another major exodus from the ranks of Lyme docs throughout the country.

Doctors want to feel that they will not lose their licenses if they treat chronic Lyme disease.

All that is required is writing a letter to Pataki and sending some flyers to doctors. You can even just pick one of these actions and just play it to the hilt, really do it.

This is the time to ask friends and family to also write letters to Pataki.

As you write your letters, could some of you post them on this thread to help those having trouble writing.
Thanks,
Ellen

---

Let's keep this ball in the air..

Remember, all patients throughout the country, AND friends and family can write to Governor Pataki reguarding these Bills.

The passage of the OPMC Bills here in the east will set a precident for medical review boards and licencing pressures on Docs everywhere..

8 out of the 12 Docs who treat Lyme in NY are under investigation for treating "outside of the box"..and the OPMC can and would go after Doc B again if these Bills do not pass in this session.

The grassroots effort has brought them to the brink of passage.

ALL we have to do is get as many letters as possible to the governor, and also help fax and write NY non-LL Docs, informing then of the Bill, as they will write in support of it.

MANY specialties in medicine are unfairly targeted as a result of complaints from insurance companies protecting their bottom line.

Ellen has spelled it all out up above.

We'll also try and get draft letters up here.

Mo

I am fairly new to the board. I am in the works of starting a support group in the Thousand Oaks / Westlake Village areas of California. I will do what I can to get the "message" out.

For those who want to help I came up with idea of using the first letter in your last name. Write/ email / fax those physicians and surgeons in the New York city area that begin with that letter.

I've got all the "M's" covered in Manhattan.

Also...PRAYING would be a very proactive measure as well.

We can use all the help we can get.

P.S. Did anyone else see that article that was just sent out from UC Berkley on Lyme Disease? I was shocked and appauled. It was given to me from another Lyme patient. I haven't as yet tracked the source so that you can all access it and read the "rubbish".

lisalyme.

Rough draft letter to Pataki composed and its going out by next week.

We need to kick-butt!

As hard as it is for many of us to even think a thought, let alone compose one on paper, due to lyme, do your best; please get a letter out!

Doing so helps mitigates against "Tombstone-St______e Medicine."!

STOP THE TOMBSTONE MEDICINEMEN!!