jueves, 20 de agosto de 2009

I am here whith Veronica(left) Nadia(center) and Vanesa(right),three of my daughters

.Fiona and Zoe,Vero´s youngest sisters.

Letter to the former President of the MBC,Ron Wender,MD

Buenos Aires,June 13th,2006

Mr Ron Wender,MD

President of the Medical Board of California

Dear Sir

Mr McKimBell (Attorney general of California) responded the letter I ´ve submitted to him on December 2005,therefore I figure that his response and our conversation of last April crossed each other ,thus I hope that, as you promissed me,the board this time,will focus my daughter`s case to unveil the real true ,which means to recognize in a clear cut the gross incompetence and negligence of Rodriguez and Li .The definition of Mr Irish and his "expert" trying to convince us that we are facing a "single departure of standards" is from every serious medical point of view untenable and it deserves a further clear explanation about what kind of treatement did they administered specially having into account the total absence of diagnosis. It is quite clear for all the experts consulted in USA and outside USA that they did not managed the disease in anyway watsoever.Take a look to the discharge summary of Rodriguez thereafter you will realize what we are talking about.he is not only a brutish ignorant he is a complete liar.He did not mentioned anything about the correct diagnosis(preclampsia without any management progressed to HELLP)because he could not explain which kind of treatement(a correct one or any other alternative to match up with health care standards in same type of cases).It will be useful as well to compare that final discharge summary with the hospital`s discharge and with death certificate.In addition you may focus the alteration and incongruence of records.Concerned with Li,his stupid prescription of a liquid diet facing my agonizing daughter free me from any further comment.

Trully yours

Robert Glaubach,architect

Posadas 1265(1011) CABA

Argentina Republic

miércoles, 19 de agosto de 2009

Gross Case of Malpractice

From: Roberto Glaubach
To: Roberto Glaubach
Subject: Medical Malpractice Case
Date: Wed, 01/14/2009 - 16:58

California Authorities Rule on Malpractice Case (David Gumpert "The Complete Patient" blog)
DateSunday, June 11, 2006 at 10:04PM

The office of California's Attorney General has advised the father
of a young woman who died shortly after giving birth to her first child that the evidence is insufficient to warrant legal action against the two physicians accused of screwing up. I wrote about the case of Veronica Glaubach last March 22, and
updated the entry April 8.In a three-page letter dated May 16, 2006, to Roberto Glaubach, Veronica's father, the Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Robert McKim Bell, says that three medical experts reviewed the case, and provided independent analyses of
treatment provided to Veronica. Bell also says he spoke with the original investigator of the Medical Board of California, and her supervisor. The letter gives the impression of a public official trying to do a careful job, saying "no expense or resources were spared in investigating the treatment and care rendered to Veronica." But the key sentence explaining why the attorney general's office can't or won't go after the two doctors who treated Veronica is...well, bizarre might be the best description. Consider: "While the experts criticized some aspects of the
treatment rendered by these physicians, they all concluded that any departures from the stan
dard of care rose to the level of so-called 'simple departures'--which is to say ordinary negligence--not the severe misbehavior upon which the Board is legally authorized to act."So if I understand this correctly, "ordinary negligence"--whatever that is--is okay. What is the difference between "ordinary negligence" and "severe misbehavior"? You've got me. But next
time I visit a physician, maybe I'll give caution him: "If you screw up with anything, doc, I just ant it to be ordinary negligence. Don't pull any severe misbehavior on me." Roberto says this matter isn't over by any means. From his home in Buenos Aires, he has already asked the medical Board of California to re-open its investigation, based on the opinions of experts he hired to assess the case. He is trying to set up meetings with Medical Board personnel when he travels to the U.S. in August. I'll keep you updated. Author : David Gumpert :The Complete Patient | Comment2 Comments | Share Article Share Article
Reader Comments (2)

What the letter means is that ordinary or simple negligence is not one of the reasons for
which a physician may be disciplined by the Medical Board of California under the Medical Practice Act. It is the Legislature, not the Board or the Attorney General's Office which
has determined the offenses for which a doctor may be stripped of his license. So-called
"simple" negligence (as opposed to gross negligence) is actionable only in a private suit.

March 15, 2007 | Unregistered Commenter Robert Bell (Attorney General Mc Kim Bell ?)

I responded to Mr Bell:

It seems that the commenter is no other than the distinguished Deputy Attorney
General of the State of California Mr Robert Mc Kim Bell,I have the unavoidable
need to respond accurately (as allways with the due respect),the commentary sig
ned by said public servant.The above mentioned letter is no other than the letter
addressed to me by Mr Bell,on May 16th,2006. I say "addressed" because I felt with
the deep sensation that it was a set speech aimed,no doubt,to draw some kind of
explanation to the incredible,outrageous and unfaithful final report given by The
Medical Board of California in the case of wrongful death of my daughter Veronica
Solange Glaubach,a 28 years old healthy girl,occured at the Huntington Memorial Hospital,Pasadena on June 30th,2002,just few hours after she delivered our
granddaughter Indiana Agote-Glaubach. Mr Bell wrote in said letter: "Legal charges
(what are called administrative accusations) are filed against doctors in California,
only when evidence exists to prove that the doctors engaged in egregious misconduct
(typical acts of gross negligence,incompetence or repeated negligent acts)Equally
important is the fact that such charges must,by law,be proven by an exceptionally
high standard of proof(clear and convincing evidence to a reasonable certainty."
...."Our legislature has delegated to the Medical Board the punishment not of ordi
nary acts of negligence,but only the most severe forms of misconduct"...."I have
spoken with both the assigned investigator (Senior Investigator Allan Irish) and
his supervisor (Area supervising Investigator Laura Sweet).We discussed the initial investigation,the conclusions of the medical experts retained by the Board to
examine this case,as well as the documents and issues presented in your correspondence".Well,MrBell, allow me to say that I personnaly submitted medical
records ,a final and conclusive report from the Public Health Service investigators
(more than 10 sheets) and more than six clear,coincident and conclusive reports
all blaming Dr Geronimo Rodriguez Md OBGYM from Pasadena,Joseph Li Md OBGYM from
Pasadena and nurses of the Huntington Memorial,as direct responsibles of the death
of my poor child. Causes ?: Gross Incompetence,Gross Negligence and a transparent,
undeniable demonstration of the most absolute Medical Ignorance.Said reports have
been given and signed by six renowned and respected experts in USA and in Argentina.
There`s no doubt,not a single doubt about this case of malpractice. The medical records
,even with evidence of some willful "cosmetical touchs",with false illegible entries,
with misleading statements and incongruences (in several reports signed by involved
doctors and nurses),with spoil of evidence,doesn`t resist the minnimum analysis.Notwithstanding the serious and complete information I`ve delivered to
the Board investigator Mr Irish and to Mr Mc Kim Bell,asking for a clear investi
gation,he responded that..." It is our conclusion that the steps taken by the staff
of the medical board were comprehensive and their initial determination not to prosecute
was an appropriate one.Three medical experts (sic)..reviewed this case...(.allow me to
say Mr Bell that Mr Irish confessed me that only one expert reviewed the case) Never
theless I defy you to put white over black and release said three supposed experts
reports-if they really exist,to challenge our reports and specially , Sir, I defy you
to explain us by this same mean or whatever ,OF WHAT KIND OF "PARTICULAR TREATMENTS ADMINISTERED BY DRS LI AND RODRIGUEZ" (mentioned in your self indulgent letter ) are
you talking about ?? All our experts are coincident in one point: Nor Rodriguez neither
Li recognized any single symptom or any outcome of the mild preclampsia in progress to eclampsia and finnaly HELLP suffered by my poor daughter. ABSOLUTE IGNORANCE !!
Dangerous Individuals with license to kill with no punishment !!
When a ICU doctor,called after a Blue Code realized what was going on,it was very late,
she was out of any possibility,out ofhope,agonizing,decerebrated. They did not performed
any kind of treatement.Just take a look on the final report of Dr Rodriguez
He never mentioned anything pertaining to a diagnosis,no one single word
about preclampsia eclampsia or hellp,and that`s understandable,because mentio
ning said diagnosis he would be constrained, to explain what kind of management
or treatment administered to my child. End of story about the bad faith of Mr Rodri
guez If you Mr Bell agree with the co-opted and colluded staff of the Medical Board
and its "self indulgent and faked" report done to protect wrongdoers (a real brother
hood of physicians) you have to explain as well of what kind of timely treatment ,mana
gement or whatever accurate diagnosis and prescription are you (or the board`s experts) talking about, because no one timely diagnosis,nor a timely management (as a consequence
of said lack of diagnosis) emerge or come forth from the medical records. Notwithstanding
said evidence, try Mr Bell ! You talk about Single Departure ? Allow me to ask Mr Bell,and..with the due respect of course, do you know if there is any limit to define what
the hell (excuse me) is a single departure ? Of course not Mr Bell,because said definition
of the Medical Practice Act is nothing else than a corrupted arranged bargain clause
impossed to legislators by the medical syndicate with "of course " the blessing of the insurance cartel.You shoul go to 1975 when MICRA was enacted and the Board created and
follow satistics and the blurred and uselessness story of this "wellknown" Board. Just in
case ...Don`t you know ? Said definiton is nothing else than a big black hole through which the complaints submitted to the board can be expeditiously dismissed,as it mostly happens.
Any board`s reviewer report concerning a malpractice case ,even if it involves the death
of the patient( as in my daughter`s case ) can be constructed ("drawn" ) in appearance as scientifically correct but using some points "out of context" or even ignoring or avoiding central points .That`s exactly what the board`s staff made in this case and what you MrBell endorse indeed.! I wonder myself what would be your position Mr Bell if this case were your daughter`s case ? Would you accept so quick the fake report of the board`s investigator ??? The nature of the human being is so intricate !! You never ever can imagine that a dis
grace like this can happen to you....On August, 2006 during my last visit to LA I`ve
tried to contact you Mr Bell,asked for an appointment.You denied the possibility (by fax)
with a kiddy explanation how was: that the DAG`s office was not prepeared to attend drop
in visitors, I`m sure that you are not a bad mannered person,I`m sure you are not such a
kind of person who believes that is over the rest of mortals, don`t you ? I went personnaly
to your office at Ronald Reagan Building in two opportunities.waiting for hours.with the
hope to get directly from you, (you signed the mentioned letter), a clear explanation
about from which kind of standardized medical treatement,-not given of course -,those
"animals not-doctors" departed to commit just a Single Departure. It is clear Mr Bell
that you are and will be unable to give even a single explanation because the real fact
is that no one timely or single accurate treatment has been performed on this case,not
even a "by far standard and allways indicated "blood transfussion. Veronica died with "
no one platelet" many hours after that horrendous Lab tests were showing ,with "big red lights" a terrible decrease of the quantity of platelets. This is just to give one among
a collection of examples about the colossal ignorance showed by said "doctors" . And those
are the individuals protected by the "so particular" point of view of the board`s reviewer
and with the ok of the DAG,(you Mr Bell), who has the duty of control acccording with the
last legislative reports on the board`s investigation (after OCRegister 2002 series Doc
tors without discipline) and the monitor program (vertical prosecution).In short Mr Bell.
and on behalf of my grandaughter who lives in LA and on behalf of my poor daughter,I demand Justice,Justice and nothing else than Justice .You as attorney general
YOU have the power to clarify this case.
I`m sure that you know that the malpractice in California is an epidemy due to the irresponsibility of the Board`s authorities co-opted by physicians org.and a poor con
trol over the Board. In the meanwhile,patients are dying and will die on the hands of unskilled professionals.

Roberto Glaubach,architect
robertoglaubach@yahoo.com

Posadas 1265 (1011) Buenos Aires
Argentina
March 20, 2007 | Unregistered Commenter Roberto Glaubach

Letter to Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber concernig their investigative report "When caregivers harm,LATimes,July 12th,2009

roberto glaubach wrote:

Roberto Glaubach,arquitect
Veronica Glaubach: Joy of Birth, Then Tragedy,published by LATimes on
July 10, 2009 10:42 am EDT

Return to Story
From ROBERTO ALEJANDRO GLAUBACH July 17, 2009 3:14 pm EDT

Mr Charles Ornstein:first of all thank you from the bottom of our souls.Thank you for having pay attention to Veronica´s case and let us collaborate in your investigation. You deserve each one and all the recognitions and important prizes you´ve got.The meticulosity with which you managed your work in Veronica´s case ,asking for every single documentation as witnesses reports,letters submitted to and received from the boards officers and investigators,med records,etc etc,are talking -without any single doubt -about a remarkable professionality .Bravo Charlie. you made big waves that will get arise big changes indeed. The “silent-hurted- majotity” I´m sure is applauding you effort to lift that awful and heavy black curtain which is (or was ?) veiling the true facts that conducted health care in California to the existing mess. It seems that the river sound announces water and,new refreshing air,because,paraphrasing Shakespeare,..something smells nasty in californian boards.Could be widely interesting and a good culmination of your “periodistic work of art” if you take an investigative look over the Medical Board of California. Perhaps you will get surprising findings. Let´s see how does the authorities of said Board accomplish its duties emerging from the 2005 Final Report of the Enforcement Program Monitor Project,suscribed by Julianne Felmeth and Tomas Papageorge.I am aware that perhaps,we are facing simply cosmetical changes. Perhaps now,as a direct consequence of your report,Veronica´s case and many other cases could be revised by the new authorities in order to establish the due responsibilities of involved wrongdoers. Thank you again.

My petition to Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger

Roberto Glaubach,arquitect see "When Caregivers Harm "and go to "Joy of Birth then Tragedy" an approach to Veronica´s story..also “The Complete Patient” David Gumpert or click on Veronica Glaubach in the web

My petition to California´s Governor Mr Arnold Schwartzenegger:

Buenos Aires,July 24th,2009
Dear Sir:
I am the mourning father of a beautiful 28 years old young and gifted girl,who was killed on June 30th 2002 in the "hi tech" Huntington Memorial Hospital , Pasadena,Ca .She died due to the more grievous,flagrant example of "medical ignorance" and "negligence" and even "bad faith" performed and committed by the people who attended him,doctors and nurses,indeed. For the last seven years i´d been fighting in every possible way to get said wrongdoers under discipline.Just a little bit of justice on behalf of my granddaughter Indiana Agote Glaubach, and moreover on behalf of my poor daughter I´ve donate her organs so,some other american people is still living and at least a little part of Veronica is still alive,so she deserves an act of justice : just the true and nothing else than the true to unveil the "responsibles behind the mask" protected by the boards`s brotherhood,indeed. .Notwithstanding numerous and by far clear evidence of wrongdoings committed by at least four nurses and three doctors, which and who headed our Veronica straight to a bloody death -involved nurses and doctors are still without any kind of disciplinarian action and -of course- they still remain " operatives". When I talk about "wrongdoings" I´m talking about "gross failures" ,incompetence,lack of knowledge,lack of diagnosis,lack of an accurate treatment(as a consequence of previous failure to diagnose), gross negligence,and,what is the worse,after realizing the mess, they´ve committed they felt in willfull omissions on medical records,with missing sheets and false entries on flowsheets ,incongruent entries,in short, more than clear manoeuvres or manipulations to hide the mess ,their brutal failures. In short a willful manipulation of the records to mislead. But is seems that they were so hurried that they couldn´t perpetrate a perfect crime. Experts discovered said "omissions ,false entries and manipulations". I´m telling the most absolute true of facts, which has been said to us, explained in a clear cut and undersigned on reports by at least four renowned experts(in USA and Argentina) .including two experts, linked to the Medical Board , to whom I´d been addressed -under compromise of confidenciality, (for logical reasons) -Additionnaly to said reports,the official voice has been heard,stated and signed in a a 10 sheets´s report by the County of Los Angeles Public Health Service´s experts, and investigators.Notwithstanding the aforesaid,which makes evident the fact that we are facing an obvious case of malpractice-- (due to a lack of skill to exercice medicine and health care )..which conducted our daughter Veronica to her death, our two complaints submitted before the Registered Nursing Board and the Medical Board of California, has been dismissed after a delay of 2,,5 (Med Board) and 3,5 (Reg N Board) Both complaints managed in a same pattern of procedures,both :a- clear staging to show- up that, meanwhile something was being accomplished-.The unacceptable long time spent by the investigators of said boards have a simple explanation. I´d been going personally several times to each enforcement unit to submitt evidence and expert´s reports.I´ve been going to Chastworth where I interviewed the Senior investigator of the Reg Nursing Board Mr Broughton O Keefe.who told me; " I have findings I have evidence of nurses´s failures and I will report said findings to the Central Unit (Sacramento),.At that moment,Broughton was telling me the true ,no doubt. Same explanation was given by PHService´s investigation supervisor Mr Eric Stone when I went twice to the central unit in Commerce. He talked about many “findings.” I also interviewed many times Mr Alan Irish senior investigator of the Medical Board (Diamond Bar enforcement unit) and give him reports,evidence,etc.I went twice to the Med Board headquarters in Sacramento,to do what I did: firmly reject of final conclusions of both boards.They dismissed our complaints in the same easy way they do with almost thousands of complaints.Complainers,at last fall in dejection,they get discouraged adfter years of useless and grievous intends,spending time and money meanwhile they suffer the double facing the unlawful,inhuman and irresponsible system with which they challenge. Not me Sir. I won´t give up untill things will be done in a correct accurate and lawful way. The true and nothing else than the true.Thereafter if it is needed (I´m sure it is ) to disciplinate some "dangerous " wrongdoers who can kill or geopardize again other people(patiens,vulnerable human beings as you stated in tour speech),let´s go and disciplinate them.I am so sure about what i am talking that I swear that ,after these years investigating,reading,searching,interviewing people, although I am an architect, I can challenge personnaly (face to face) those board´s experts , including the involved doctors and nurses , in a public hearing (with a moderator just to avoid the wellknown "self indulgence " of some physicians and "experts" when they argue with a non-peer) , and you can be sure Sir that they won´t be able to respond accurately my quiz without falling in a confession of the incredible way they failed.Just a questionaire , just simple questions ,...simple but strongly evidentiary. Nowadays I know a "little "about what they really did with my poor daughter.They killed her,no doubt whatsoever.Thereafter they hided.Thgey misleaded.They falsified outcomes and true facts to avoid penalties.Protected by her peers.I sustain this and i´m not fear at all because I am telling the true and I can probe it. By the way,the Medical Board of California sustained it last report telling us that it was a case of "single departure" the “bargain clause" of the Medical Practice Act of BPCode of Cal. But it is not a single departure watsoever..The Reg Nursing Board signed that the nurses Robin O Brien,cricki Morrisey and Hillary warren (Huntington) and there´s another unnamed nurse pointed by the Public Health Service ´s report,.." provided a competent care within the standars of care under california law. So,to whom must I believe ?? To the Public Health service that is telling us about said nurses failures coincidently with our experts or to the Reg Nursing Board ??. To whom must I give my credit?? to the Medical Board´s unique expert´s stupid conclusion stating that the unique failure of Dr Geronimo Rodriguez MD ,was not having ordered an urine analysis,just a "single departure" avoiding the fact that he never knew what was occuring to my daughter. And if the failure to order a simple urine analysis got as a result,the death of the patient, where is the single departure ¿?. If that failure was not the death´s cause….which was the cause ¿?. Can you see the incongruente ¿ Veronica,was suffering a mild preclampsia at the time when she was admitted at the hospital ,preclampsia never recognized by nurses or doctors despite several warnings posted on the prenatal records ,and that´s why Rodríguez ordered just Tylenol and Mylanta .Meanwhile she was going straight to a eclampsia and finnaly to a HELLP and death,bleeding even through eyes and at last :brain death. Do I have to avoid the fact that said physician omitted on the final summary ando n the death certificate,to state the true cause of death to avoid any explanation about the absence of diagnosis and treatment so he clearly lied (another finding of the Public Health Service´s investigation) .Do I have to blind my eyes and avoid to see that the other irresponsible Joseph Li MD ,being my daughter very close to a deadly seizure , prescripted a “liquid diet” ?? and meanwhile he some lab tests (at that point she was almost with no platelets at all. Do I have to blind my eyes and forget that not any accurate management nor a single "blood trasfussion" as even a medicine student knows has been given to Veronica even after lab tests showed a terrific low level of platelets?? May I ignore that when asked about the absence of said blood trasfussion,Michael Gurevitch MD stammered and respònded with a big and incredible stupidity (in front of many witness)....because your daughter´s blood was a rare type..??? Unbelievable !! (she was AB Rh+) .we felt astonished after that stupid answer,..My answer to Gurevitch: You are underestimating us, I am a cultured man and you are talking on behalf of a hi-tec hospital...Is there have a blood bank ??.or not ¿? That´s all. In that very moment I suspected that something was wrong. Mr Governor,although I imagine that you are terribly busy, i beg your attention on this case and I beg you to order to whom it correspond a truthful revision and redoing if needed over this case. It could be a good " leading and examplarian case "to warn bad doctors, bad nurses and specially the board´s officials ,at last useful to improve health care quality. The silent majority will be applauding this action,believe me. I didn´t state some badmanners showed by nurses,nd witnessed by Veronica´s mother and Veronica´s couple. Said badmanners existed.
All these years I´d been going to USA from Argentina,in my personal endeavour to get some justice and to some sense to Veronica´s death to give some useful orientation to prevent other potential victims. I even searched the former President of the Med Board Mr Ron Wender onto her office at Cedar´s Sinai Hospital requesting a truthful management of our complaint because I was aware about the missconduct of board´s complaint analysts.They protect herselfs and every people in California knows about that. I´ve submitted letters asking for a review and redoing of everything to the Deputy Attorney General Robert Mc Kim Bell .I went to his office asking for an appointment but he didn´t attended me answering that he was not prepared to attend drop in visitors.Previously I called from Buenos Aires to be booked.No results. I remember that Mr Ron Wender addressed me to Dave Thornton, Executive director of MBC and we had a meeting at the Ronald Reagan Bd,in LA, during which he confessed to me that the Board was floaded and things were just like that. .There are much more details impossible to be described on this e-mail. I remain to your absolute disposition and if needed I can fly immeditely to where you ask to to complete my exposition including the whole documentation which support my statement. An I repeat: with any kind of hesitation I can confront publicly in a hearing with board´s experts,alone.I repeat alone. So strong are proofs. By the way,although I´m not an american citizen,Indiana Agote Glaubach my granddaughter she is and the half part of my father´s family is fourth generation in America,,so I feel USA as my second friendly home. Believe me
I´ll remain expectant..
Thank you for having give us your attention
Trully yours
Roberto Glaubach, father of Veronica Glaubach
Posadas 1265(1011)
Buenos Aires
Argentina.

An Unhappy Medical Malpractice Journey, by David Gumpert

An Unhappy Medical Malpractice Journey, David Gumpert "The Complete Patient" (posted 9-1-2006),Veronica´s Glaubach killing

Submitted by roberto glaubach on Thu, 01/15/2009 - 16:43.

Medical & Doctor Related Forum

Last winter and spring, I chronicled the efforts of Roberto Glaubach to gain a measure of justice following the unexpected death of his daughter four years ago, just hours after giving birth in a Los Angeles-area hospital. Roberto argues that his daughter died because of the carelessness and negligence of doctors assigned to his daughter, and he petitioned California's Medical Board and others to charge the attending physicians.

Alas, Roberto has since run up against one roadblock after another in his efforts. Local newspapers have shied away from writing about the case, California legislators have been sympathetic but are delaying and, most recently, the California attorney general's office re-rejected his efforts to charge the doctors in the case, maintaining that it was up to the medical board to request the attorney general to file charges. The medical board's physician experts have all agreed that charges aren't warranted. (How often have you seen physicians criticize other physicians, let alone recommend legal charges against them?)

Roberto has concluded that the big problem lies is the language applied in medical malpractice issues, which gives the physicians a huge loophole, no matter how serious the transgression. Under the regulations, physicians who are guilty of a "single point of departure" (a minor error) in their treatment are pretty much excused; if their treatment reflects a "gross departure," then they can be prosecuted. But in reality, nearly all screwups are categorized as "single points of departure," so physicians can have lots of these, and still get off the hook.

As Roberto says, "It is more than clear that doctors (AMA) forced the introduction of that tricky terminology in the medical code, with a more than clear self indulgent intention to permit qualifying in that way any kind of failure. In my daughter's case,the board's expert report just blamed (one of the physicians) of having forgotten a simple urine analysis. Of course, not having diagnosed, and not having performed, any kind of treatement, said failure to perform a simple urine analysis was surely one more in the large list of preocedures and/or of tests avoided. Disconnecting the real facts is much too easy and provides almost 'a credit card' to avoid consequent responsibilities."

Gee, sounds like the doctors got together with the lawyers.

AuthorThe Complete Patient | Comment1 Comment | Share ArticleShare Article
in CategoryHealth care policy

Reader Comments (1)
Interesting Blog - I like your intelligent take on the sometimes emotional subject matter. Tried to send you an email to exchange links but could not figure out how to do that. So, check out mine (www.hospitalpatient.org) and we can exchange links.
September 7, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterMichael Weiss

LA Times investigation over Criminal Nurses

LA Times

Archive for Sunday, October 05, 2008
A criminal past no bar to nursing
Times investigation finds the state nurse licensing board allowed sex offenders, drug users and convicts to retain and renew their permits.

By Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber
October 05, 2008

Dozens of nurses convicted of crimes, including sex offenses and attempted murder, have remained fully licensed to practice in California for years before the state nursing board acted against them, a Times investigation found.

The newspaper, in a joint effort with the nonprofit investigative news organization ProPublica, found more than 115 recent cases in which the state didn’t seek to pull or restrict licenses until registered nurses racked up three or more criminal convictions. Twenty-four nurses had at least five.

In some cases, nurses with felony records continue to have spotless licenses – even while serving time behind bars.

Nurse Haydee Parungao sits in a federal prison in Danbury, Conn., serving a nearly five-year sentence after admitting in 2006 that she bilked Medicare out of more than $3 million.

In her guilty plea, Parungao confessed to billing for hundreds of visits to Southern California patients that she never made, charging for visits while she was out of the country and while she was gambling at Southern California casinos.

Yet according to the state of California, she is a nurse in good standing, free to work in any hospital or medical clinic.

Reporters reviewed stacks of nursing board files and court pleadings, consulted online databases and newspaper clippings and conducted interviews with nurses and experts in several states. The review included an analysis of all accusations filed and disciplinary actions taken since 2002 – more than 2,000 in all, finding misdemeanors and felonies ranging from petty theft and disorderly conduct to assault, embezzlement and bail jumping.

Among the cases in which the board acted belatedly or not at all:

* An Orange County man continued to renew his nursing license for years even after he was imprisoned for attempted murder.

* A Redding nurse racked up 14 convictions from 1996, a year after she was licensed, through 2006, a year before the board caught up with her. The charges included driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license and possession of a controlled substance.

* A San Pedro man amassed convictions for receiving stolen property, possession of cocaine and possession of burglary tools before the board placed him on probation. He subsequently was arrested two more times, for possessing cocaine and a pipe to smoke it.

In response, the board extended his probation.

* A Calimesa nurse has a clean record despite a felony conviction for lewd and lascivious acts with a child.

“I’m completely blown away,” said Julianne D’Angelo Fellmeth, administrative director of the Center for Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego and an expert on professional licensing boards in California. “Nurses are rendering care to sick people, to vulnerable people… . This is a fundamental failure on the part of this board.”

Escaping scrutiny

California has the largest number of registered nurses in the nation. Hospitals and clinics rely on the website of the California Board of Registered Nursing, in part, when checking out job applicants because all accusations and disciplinary actions are posted there for public review.

If the nursing board’s website says that a convicted nurse has a clean record, D’Angelo Fellmeth said, “It’s like fraud. It’s consumer fraud.”

A top nursing board official says her agency is taking the newspaper’s findings seriously but was unable to say why individual cases were missed.

“We’re just really putting our arms around the issue,” said Heidi Goodman, the board’s assistant executive director. “It’s important. It’s vital. It is what we do. That’s our mandate: Public protection.”

The newspaper’s investigation found the board’s screening process to be flawed in two significant ways.

First, it allows a large portion of the 343,000 active registered nurses to escape the state’s scrutiny. The state began requiring applicants to submit their fingerprints in 1990, so that the board would be flagged by law enforcement agencies whenever a licensed nurse was arrested. But the rule does not apply to nurses licensed before then – a group that now numbers about 146,000.

California misses a second chance at catching errant nurses when they apply to renew their licenses every two years. Unlike many states, California does not ask nurses to disclose criminal convictions that occurred since the last time they applied.

Even California’s vocational nursing board, which oversees nurses with a lesser degree of training, requires renewing nurses to report convictions. California’s registered nurses are asked only to pay a fee and verify that they have completed continuing education courses.

As a result, Goodman said the board must rely on complaints and anonymous tips to discover convictions among roughly 40% of its nurses.

She conceded that the system has gaps. Prompted in part by questions from The Times, the board plans to ask the Legislature for permission to add a question about convictions to its renewal application. Goodman said the board does not believe it has the authority to change the application on its own.

The state Department of Consumer Affairs, which provides support for all state licensing boards, also is considering asking the Legislature for permission to seek fingerprints from nurses and other health licensees who have not provided them.

Goodman said the board is doing what it can with its limited budget and staff. It can’t pursue cases it doesn’t know about, she said.

“I don’t know what I don’t know,” she said. But, she added: “I don’t view it as a problem. I’m just viewing it as taking a look at opportunities.”

Delayed reaction

At times, the board’s slow pace has put patients at risk.

Some nurses with convictions for drug or alcohol-related crimes later were accused of taking drugs intended for patients.

Before one nurse lost her license, she was twice convicted of drunk driving, failed to complete a rehabilitation program and later appeared drunk at three separate nursing jobs, according to the board’s complaint against her.

The case of a different nurse convicted in 1994 of smuggling rock cocaine to her jailed husband was not resolved until 2003.

“The exceedingly serious criminal conduct that is the subject of this matter most certainly would have resulted in a revocation of her license” if the charges had been brought sooner, an administrative law judge wrote when the case ended. “No explanation is apparent for the significant delay.”

As a result, the judge gave the nurse probation.

Another serious case was similarly drawn out.

In April 1994, an Orange County jury convicted Stephen Menchaca of the attempted murder of his wife. A judge later wrote that Menchaca “hit her on the head with a hard object, pushed her to the ground, put towels in her mouth and over her head and struck her head against the floor.”

Menchaca was sentenced to life plus three years in prison.

The nursing board didn’t act until eight years later – after Menchaca had renewed his license repeatedly while in prison. His license finally was revoked in February 2003.

Goodman recalled the case well. “That was a real strange one,” she said, adding that the board acted after an anonymous complaint. Asked how he was able to renew his license, she said, “The address of record we had wasn’t in prison, so somebody was able to do something on his behalf unbeknownst to us.”

Menchaca did not respond to a request for comment sent to him in state prison in Lancaster.

Databases

Goodman said many hospitals conduct their own criminal background checks. And, she said, one minor crime such as a drunk driving conviction may not indicate that a nurse shouldn’t be allowed to practice, a view shared by outside experts. Even so, multiple convictions generally warrant some sort of discipline, Goodman said. “There’s obviously a problem. There’s obviously a pattern.”

The board could have found out about some nurses’ criminal histories or accusations against them just as the Times and ProPublica did – by reviewing government databases.

By comparing the state’s Megan’s Law database, which lists registered sex offenders, with the state’s list of registered nurses, for instance, reporters immediately found three cases in which the names and addresses of sex offenders matched those of registered nurses with clean records.

Armed with additional information about the state’s nurses, such as birth dates, the board might find even more matches.

One of those in the Megan’s Law database was Thomas Walker Carson, 52, who was convicted in 1989 of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 14 and in 1997 for failure to register as a sex offender.

In an interview outside his home in Calimesa, Carson said he continues to work as a nurse and has never been contacted by the nursing board. “The people I work with know all about me and my office knows all about me,” he said. “It’s never been a problem.”

Carson, a former medic in the Air Force, said his conviction took place nearly 20 years ago and involved a friend’s 13-year-old sister.

Asked why he didn’t tell the nursing board about his conviction, Carson said, “I’m not going to volunteer for more grief… . They don’t ask me anything on my renewals. I just pay for a class and pay a fee.”

He now works as a home health nurse with an older patient, he said, not children. But he said he still must provide for his two children and believes he is a good nurse.

“I personally am not dangerous,” he said. “I wasn’t dangerous then.”

The nursing board’s Goodman said she was unaware that any sex offenders were licensed in good standing.

“I’m sure with Megan’s Law being what it is, I’m sure there’s a database out there and it would be very interesting – wouldn’t it? – to run names against a database,” she said. “I don’t know. I’m thinking out loud.”

Reporters also matched the state’s list of registered nurses against the federal government’s database of health providers banned from Medicare. It found four examples of banned nurses that the board has never disciplined, one of whom was found guilty of patient abuse or neglect.

The conviction of Parungao, who now is in federal prison, is listed on the U.S. Internal Revenue Service website as one of its significant healthcare fraud prosecutions of 2007.

Her lawyer, Donald Etra, said there’s a distinction between “financial impropriety and medical competence.

“There is no question that Ms. Parungao was a terrific nurse and there was never any question that she was competent and gave great care to the patients entrusted to her,” Etra said. “That’s what the board should focus on.”

Sometimes the board doesn’t act upon convictions in California until another state does.

In May 1989, Michael Jay Lutzow was convicted of committing a lewd act on a child in San Diego. Six years later, the California board issued him a nursing license.

In September 2006, Arizona’s nursing board rejected Lutzow’s application for a license based on his California conviction and other factors.

Nearly a year later, California filed an accusation against Lutzow, citing the Arizona denial.

He did not return calls seeking comment.

In April, the board put him on three years’ probation. One of the conditions: He must practice as a nurse in California.

source: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/05/local/me-nurses5

Board Knew of Nurses’ Criminal Records But Took Years to Act
by Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber, ProPublica - November 1, 2008 11:10 pm EST

About the Medical Records-Comments

Medical Records request- being stonewalled

Submitted by Cmarsha on Thu, 01/08/2009 - 13:24.

Medical & Doctor Related Forum

My wife and I are trying to get a copy of the medical documentation that was sent to an insurance company last month and used to deny us. In the letter the company cited some issues that were either exaggerated or that I was never informed of, mention of spinal curvature, which no one ever mentioned to me, chronic knee pain - I was treated once two years ago for a brief episode of bursitis.
I have made a request both with the medical records and my doctors nursing staff, they are always 'working' on it. This has been going on three weeks. Last time something was said that gave me the idea they are working up some 'abstract' of my records but won't send the actual ones.
Funny they can send this stuff to total strangers, but not to us. I live in Nebraska, part of the problem I think. Suggestions?

My comments are related to

Submitted by BobPensacola on Wed, 02/11/2009 - 10:31.

My comments are related to "used to deny us", I assume you are try to get new coverage, i.e. you are moving to a new insurance company. The delay could be caused by 1) the doctor doesn't want to comply, 2) the doctor hasn't authorized the release because the staff hasn't mentioned it to him (everybody forgot it), or 3) the records are in storage and your request hasn't gotten any priority.

Here are some ideas:
Since the insurance company seems to have what you need, can you get a copy from them?

Ask to speak with a supervisor within the insurance company and request details. If that doesn't work, send your request in writing, stating that there seems to be some confusion as to your condition (spinal curvature).

Contact one or more state insurance regulatory agencies and ask for clarification as to what you are entitled to by law. If it's a national organization, contact your Congressman for help. If state, contact your state representative.

Did you make your request to the doctor in writing? That is always better than an oral request.

Does your area have a legal aid society? That agency might both be able to advise you and assist you w/o cost. Does your area have a medical society? They might provide helpful information. You might also try to befriend one of the doctor's staff and ask how your request can be resolved, what is the average time for a request like yours and finally just ask "what seems to be causing the delay?"

Patience may help, if the delay seems normal.

Last, go to Google, put in the name of the insurance company, and the word "problems" with quotes. Maybe that carrier would be problematic even if you got the coverage you are seeking.

Well, I love the way that I

Submitted by wishandaprayer on Wed, 02/11/2009 - 09:58.

Well, I love the way that I spent $7,500. on getting a medical expert opinion, and didn't even get the 1999 angiogram evaluated, nor the 2003 one.

In Canada, with the CMPA, we are funding the doctor's insurance, and they have a vast amount of money to do whatever the heck they please.

The fact is, a doctor in Canada needn't worry about being sued from what I can see. (out of the one eye)

Then sue the statutory

Submitted by WINDUP000 (not verified) on Wed, 02/11/2009 - 20:43.

Then sue the statutory authority if you can? That's what people do in the UK?

Just lodge a lawsuit. See

Submitted by WINDUP000 (not verified) on Wed, 02/11/2009 - 07:17.

Just lodge a lawsuit. See how long it takes for them to respond. Until you sue their ass they will just F#($* you around. Standard procedure. They must dislose your medical information, information in support of your case or informaiton upon which they rely in the process of legal discovery. If they do not - then it may not be admissible... any you win.

Good luck.

roberto

Submitted by roberto glaubach on Tue, 02/10/2009 - 18:04.

roberto glaubach,arquitect
Health care providers,hospitals,physicians are custodian and fully responsibles of the medical records.Medical records contain personal and private medical info which belongs exclusively to you and according with law "Public Record Act" you have the right to have a full access to them and to ask an immediate copy of them.So,at the first negative of being provided of said copies you have to go to the medical records office and submit a wroten requirement there.Take a notary,...just in case .They have the obligation to provide copies of your medical records immediately. When my daughter Veronica died ( to be clear she was killed there) at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena,I was strongly suspicious about everything ,I was deeply concerned abot a lot of incongruent explanations given by hiospital authorities,so I went immmediately to the record´s office,asking for records.They denied at the very beginning copies of .I stood there for hours,starting a little scandal & arguing with everybody there.Finnaly they gave to me full copies of the records,but in a disordered way. Sheets without numeration disorganized and ilegibles entries(everybody knows doctor´s way of writing.. although they have the obligation,according with the Medical Practice Act,to write in a clear and understandable letter.My witness experts after reviewing records,discovered a lot of willful amendments,alterations of entries,incongruents registrations and missing sheets onto them.The medical mafia brotherhood acted quickly over said records.Justice ?? stop dreaming dear friend.A strong and wide people´s claim must be araised,thereafter maybe,just maybe,politicians (vote chasers) and legislators (elected to represent the people) will allow to enact changes on this unfair issue.
I understand you,...a lot
Truly yours
Roberto
Buenos Aires-Argentina

About the Nursing Board of California

The Californian Nursing Board ´s control over "criminal nurses", But what about unskilled nurses committing gross failures ???

Submitted by roberto glaubach on Wed, 01/28/2009 - 15:19.

Medical & Doctor Related Forum

ProPublica : Journalism in the Public Interest

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Health & Science
California Nursing Board Will Require Fingerprints From All Licensees
by Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber, ProPublica - October 24, 2008 11:00 am EST

This story ran today in the Los Angeles Times. Read our complete investigation on lax nurse licensing standards here.

The California Board of Registered Nursing unanimously approved emergency regulations Thursday requiring all of its licensees to submit fingerprints, allowing law enforcement agencies to flag the nursing board any time a nurse is arrested.

The move comes after a Times story earlier this month revealed that dozens of convicted criminals had kept their licenses for years.

The new rule will have the greatest effect on about 146,000 nurses who were licensed before 1990, when the board began requiring new applicants to provide fingerprints.

In the city that I live in,

Submitted by wishandaprayer on Wed, 01/28/2009 - 17:17.

In the city that I live in, they want to remove essential emergency and critical care services from a top-notch facility that cares for seriously ill mothers, and hearing your story makes me think about this plan.

I am very sorry about what happened to your daughter, but I am wondering if maybe her story might change the minds of those who don't want to hear what the doctors are saying? That their plan may not be safe, and those with the power to make decisions need to consider the safety of mothers and their babies above all else.

Thank you for sharing your story, and I hope that you can find some healing in knowing that your story may be heard and lives may be saved in the future.

Letter to Ron Wender,former President of the medical Board of California

Letter submitted by me to the former President of the Med. Board of California,Ron Wender MD, asking for truthfulness and discipline of wrongdoers-

Submitted by roberto glaubach on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 17:32.

Medical & Doctor Related Forum

December,26th,2006

Mr Ron Wender
President of the
Medical Board of California

Dear Sir

I hope you will remember me. I am the one who visited you at your hospital`s office and gave your secretary an organizer concerning the death of my daughter Veronica Solange Glaubach, death due to the most incredible,stupid criminal case of medical ignorance,gross incompetence ,and furthermore bad faith.

Certainly, bad faith of the involved physicians Geronimo Rodriguez,Joseph Li and Michael Gurevitch who, as soon as they realized the bestiality they did, quickly manipulated with any kind of moral hesitation the medical records in such a disordered way, that ,even trying to hide the real facts and to mask incontrovertible signs, finnaly commited gross errors which our experts clearrly detected, indeed.

Lab tests where so horrendous that they let any kind of doubt.Nevertheless said ignorants (doctors) did not performed anything :not an accurate prescription nor a blood transfusion,nothing as prescribed by standard and wellknown rules of health care, in cases like the herein mentioned.The total absence of any treatment is a clear consequence of the most absolute ignorance of three incompetent and wrongly named as “doctors”.

But the absence of a disciplinarian action,is-with any doubt about it- a consequence of the deplorable,incredible cynical protection given to those wrongdoers,-moreover criminal wrongdoers-,by the Medical Board of California,the entity presided precisely by you, Sir

So here I am, almost four and a half years after the killing (because it was a killing no doubt ) of my poor 28 years old child, and I`m still claiming for some kind of disciplinary enforcement towards three dangerous ignorants who are still considered skilled people to take care of the health and life of the people..

Well, well , Mr Ron, this situation reinforces by far and much more my position. I must firmly insist before you to find a truthful and reliable way to reach an edge in order to twist the currently unfair and colluded mechanism,started in 1975(when enacted MICRA and the board was created), and materialized by the sinful and unrighteous "supposed" system of regulation, control and enforcement of such a vital issue which is the care of the health of human beings.

At last it is just a matter of medical quality,excellence of knowledge and the most strong as possible disciplinary action to punish said wrongdoers,just to discourage in some way ,those pseudo-doctors who did not achieved a high standard of knowledge of the art of medicine.Thereafter you will get just higher standards of healthcare quality and knowledge and what is the more ,the Medical Board will get the full respect of the people,which is not precisely what is happening nowadays. Don´t you believe ???.

It is unneeded to say that since 1975,the Board`s credibility and trustiness dropped and it has been under controversy several times for many years until today by patients & consumers watchdog org., legislators,politicians etc .etc,etc and.with the most due respect Ron...a lot of more etceteras. Don´t you ???

At last,the OCRegister(newspaper of Orange County) 2002 series “Doctors without discipline “ made public horrifying cases of killings committed by “so called doctors” under the indulgent and "light" mechanism of the enforcement authorities.

Said publications,embarrassed and complicated (naturally vote chasers) politicians and legislators and,of course Mr Schwarzenegger,the boss, and forced a "strong investigation" (?¿) getting the issuing of the pompous (and in my humble opinion just cosmetic) Monitor Program to "supposedly" get upraised some changes which effectiveness and accomplishment is still .I repeat..still a matter to be seen "on and along the road". Don´t you agree with me ??

Health care is an unquestionable human right ,it`s not just a privilege of some kind of aulic or aristocratic circle,( furthermore royal untouchable circus) the enforcement of the health care is an unquestionable STATE ISSUE not only in the Union, but worldwide.

Thus a low or bad quality in health care enforcement results in the actual critical and chaotic panorama with hundreds of thousands of deaths as a clear result of a poor and inefficient preparation of many physicians worsened by a weak control over them.

Now,Ron, I wonder : Had Veronica been your own daughter or Mr Dave Thornton or Mrs Jerzak daughter, would have the reviewer 's report been the same ?

Allow me to respond: OF COURSE NOT !

Do you believe, Ron, that our six renowned experts, two of them very close ones, can be coincidentaly mistaken and, on the opposite, your "single and SUPER secret reviewer" is certainly the owner of truth?

I´m sure that -as mine- your answer is of course NOT.. and you are concious about that, even if you state or intend to give an explanation about anything else, in discordance with our position, which is the result of more than four years investigating this case and everything about the Board`s story and the health care crisis in USA and related matters.

Surely you will agree with me on what we are talking about :just about political issues.Therefore, I `ve already contacted a main legislator of the State specialized in health issues,stating this case ,and asking for a review of some shady existing points, which have been spuriously introduced as bargained pieces during the negotiations between doctor`s syndicate,politicians and legislators,on the last three years.

I am referring to several points of the Medical Practice Act which has obviously been enacted with some self-indulgent pro-doctors points. I am ascertained about this point,and legislator I`ve contacted as well.

I hope that perhaps doing something positive in this matter it can give some sense to the absolutly avoidable (experts dixit) death of our poor 28 years old beautiful daughter.

Nevertheless allow me to say that as President of the Board you are capable to release the real truth on this
case,which is not reflected whatsoever in your "shaddy" unacceptable reviewer report

Thank you for your attention

Best regards and a happy New Year

ROBERTO GLAUBACH,ARCHITECT

Roberto, I greatly admire

Submitted by deformed nose on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 18:59.

Roberto,

I greatly admire your persistence and your pursuit of justice.

I'm getting over the flu, but I am thinking of ways to help change the corrupt medical system that we have.

In the meantime, there is a website called quackwatch, and there is another called ripoffreport.com
There are also several other doctors rating sites to post warnings on.

Best wishes to you,
DN

Last request submitted to the RNB to get a truthfull investigation on Vero´s case

Buenos Aires,August 14th,2009

To: The EXECUTIVE OFFICER of the
Registered Nursing Board of California
and/or
Att.: Mr Kyong Kim Wong
Case Management analyst
or :
to whom it may concern

REF Huntington Memorial Hospital Case 2004-1413-Veronica Glaubach ,killed at the Huntington Memorial Hospital of Pasadena CA

Sirs:
Once more as requested on my last letter dated January 20.2009,I firmly request the whole redoing of the investigation over nurses Cricki Morrisey,Robin O Brien,Hillary Warren and others more to the number of 10,involved in my daughter´s death at the Huntington Memorial Hospital of Pasadena on June 30th,2002.Notwithstanding the abundant clear evidence proving the truthfulness of my complaint,full evidence supported by 5 expert´s reports including a ten page report adressed by the investigators of the Public Health Service of the County of los Angeles, aiming those nurses as responsibles of critical failures and wrongdoings which headed my daughter to his bloody death,,in complicity with Geronimo Rodriguez MD and Joseph Y li MD (OBGYN),the Reg.Nursing Board, after a long and injustifiable while of more than three years, unlawfuly decided to release said nurses from any kind of responsibility as well as disciplinarian action..So it seems that nobody is responsible of my daughter´s death indeed !! .Unsustainable position signed by former EO Ruth Ann Terry. Same pattern of managing done to mostly all complaints submitted before that Board.So,here we are after Charles Ornstein´s- LATimes publication "When caregivers harm"..Veronica Glaubach Joy of Birth then tragedy...You can consult the web and my letters to former Mrs Ann Ruth Terry,Gov Schwartzenegger and President Barack Obama.It seems that some changes can arise now ,so I suppose that the new authorities will take this time, and seriously, my request and will be able to redo the investigation in a truthful manner,avoiding any staging at all and avoiding any kind of partiality as it flows up from your last disposition.Evidence is strong and more than clear so please,Sirs, at this "new time" try to accomplish with your duties with the due objectiveness. I acknowledge you that I feel free to post this and other communications on the web to inform publicly about my complaint.
I remain expectant of your notices.

Arq.Roberto Alejandro Glaubach
robertoglaubach@yahoo.com
Posadas 1265(1011) CABA
ARGENTINE REPUBLIC
0054114-815-0517/37

martes, 18 de agosto de 2009

Los angeles Times,July 12th,2009 by Charles Ornstein

Lives ruined -- and worse

Related
Problem nurses stay on the job as patients suffer
Nurses
Board takes no public action against some King/Drew nurses

July 12, 2009 (published)

Joy over a birth turns to tragedy

Veronica Glaubach told her father to wait until the week after she gave birth before flying to California from Buenos Aires to meet the baby. When the infant was a day old, however, Roberto Glaubach was told to come immediately.

Veronica was brain-dead.

The cause of her 2002 death was complications from pre-eclampsia, a relatively common condition in pregnancy that can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Roberto Glaubach has spent years and more than $100,000 seeking to hold someone responsible. He has made 20 trips to California and sent letter after letter. In one missive to the state Board of Registered Nursing, he attached Veronica's photo: "The face of a human being who some irresponsible and little-prepared nurses killed at 28 years of age," he wrote.

In 2005, state hospital regulators faulted three nurses for not telling doctors of Veronica's high blood pressure or assessing her for pre-eclampsia. Glaubach also obtained a $550,000 legal settlement for his granddaughter after suing the hospital and two doctors.

Five years after Veronica's death, the nursing board weighed in, saying in a letter to Glaubach that an outside expert found the treatment "within the standards of care" under state law.

"The board appreciates the profound depth of your loss. However, any further review of this matter would not result in a different opinion."

"I was astonished," Glaubach said. "My loss is for the rest of my life."

-- Charles Ornstein,Senior reporter,Pro Publica and LATimes.

***

What Does the FDA Have in Common With the California Medical Board?

I've been doing a lot of research involving the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the last few weeks, in connection with my upcoming column at BusinessWeek.com next Tuesday. I've been struck by a striking similarity between the FDA and the California Medical Board, which I've written about in connection with the medical malpractice claims of Roberto Glaubach regarding the death of his daughter, Veronica, following childbirth. That similarity: arrogance.

I don't want to describe details of my upcoming BusinessWeek.com column, but suffice it to say the FDA possesses near-dictatorial powers over food and drug companies--and isn't reticent about using those powers against law-abiding businesses that lack the resources to fight back. See if you agree. As I said, the column will appear beginning this Tuesday at www.businessweek.com, click on Small Biz along the top.

Posted on Friday, June 23, 2006 at 10:08PM by

The Complete Patient in

reserved.

Malpractice in California:the killing of Veronica