There is no question that the PHP is a problematic and flawed system. As an attorney (and physician) who practices exclusively in the area of professional healthcare licensing defense, I am interested to know if you have developed strategies that work within the existing statutory frameworks to get more favorable results for physicians facing the PHP? If so, I would enjoy speaking with you. Thank you.
Back in the day at the Big Free (Charity Hospital of New Orleans), the co-medical directors at one time were John Bobear (LSU faculty) and Aris Cox (Tulane faculty). I believe they switched directorship back and forth every two years. They “retired” at some point and moved on.
Ultimately Bobear became Director and Chief Investigative Officer of the LA Board of Medical Examiners, while his buddy Cox became head of Palmetto (I think it was called), the Impaired Physicians Program. So what do you think happened?
Bobear could come down on a Louisiana physician for whatever reason and “sentence” him or her to Palmetto for evaluation, assessing fees and fines, of course. Then Cox, charging his fees as well, could keep the physician basically captive for evaluation. If he deemed the physician to be impaired, then the physician was hooked for life, paying yearly fees to both entities, living in fear of a drop-in visit at any time, and so on and so on.
Both Bobear and Cox have passed on (and may their souls rest In peace), but I don’t think the system is much different today, only probably better lawyered.
Kernan,
There is no question that the PHP is a problematic and flawed system. As an attorney (and physician) who practices exclusively in the area of professional healthcare licensing defense, I am interested to know if you have developed strategies that work within the existing statutory frameworks to get more favorable results for physicians facing the PHP? If so, I would enjoy speaking with you. Thank you.
Back in the day at the Big Free (Charity Hospital of New Orleans), the co-medical directors at one time were John Bobear (LSU faculty) and Aris Cox (Tulane faculty). I believe they switched directorship back and forth every two years. They “retired” at some point and moved on.
Ultimately Bobear became Director and Chief Investigative Officer of the LA Board of Medical Examiners, while his buddy Cox became head of Palmetto (I think it was called), the Impaired Physicians Program. So what do you think happened?
Bobear could come down on a Louisiana physician for whatever reason and “sentence” him or her to Palmetto for evaluation, assessing fees and fines, of course. Then Cox, charging his fees as well, could keep the physician basically captive for evaluation. If he deemed the physician to be impaired, then the physician was hooked for life, paying yearly fees to both entities, living in fear of a drop-in visit at any time, and so on and so on.
Both Bobear and Cox have passed on (and may their souls rest In peace), but I don’t think the system is much different today, only probably better lawyered.