Email/Post
Subject- Dr Jaller in Maryland- His Blog and his request for help
February 3, 2009 at 9:17 PM
PLEASE DO NOT POST THE DOCTORS NAME IN PUBLIC OR THE NAME OF HIS TOWN!
Sorry to do it this way... but I am getting a lot of emails about this topic and am really busy with Lyme stuff and deadlines. This is MY opinion... Q & A style. It is in response to this post below... and all the questions I am getting about it.
http://lymemd.blogspot.com/2009/02/please-read-this-it-may-be-my-last-post.html
Q- His blog said he wanted help. A- I highly recommend he stop posting on that blog and on patient web sites, like his lawyer has advised. If he expects help from certain people he will need to approach this in a professional manner. ```````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- What about the charges? A - As far as I can tell he hasn't been charged yet. This could take years, IF it happens at all. His blog said the records were going to be reviewed which happens with nearly all LLMD's at some point and many non-Lyme docs. Many times they review records and just let it go because there isn't enough to charge them with. `````````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- They took some patient files... A- That is usually the case ... standard procedure. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- Can you and the Maryland groups help him? A- I can't speak for all the Maryland groups and won't. The leaders I have spoken to about this have considered what he has written and pretty much feel like I do in this situation... but I speak only for myself. If any LLMD needed help I would drop everything, health permitting and go with all I've got. BUT.. several things have to be in place first. 1. There has to be actual charges before anything can be done. Before I stand behind any cause I will know the facts or I just won't do it. In this case there is nothing really to do yet until he is charged.. IF he is even charged. I personally offered him my help a good while ago on this matter and I was not contacted. In fact, I tried once before to help him and was basically told to buzz off. I can only assume by his words and actions that he didn't want my help or the help of others at that time. 2. Any time a doctor is in trouble they MUST be in agreement with their lawyer and have a well thought out plan of action in place before WE can do anything to help. There are no charges at this point and therefore, I assume, no plans. We only have an unofficial "maybe" this might happen, so we can not proceed. 3. I am up to my eyeballs in Lyme stuff, as are the other leaders I've been in touch with, however, I will work on this if I am asked to by the doctor and lawyer, but not until such time. I am sorry to say that help from various sources, I would imagine, may be thin because this doctor has been publicly criticizing ILADS, their methods and their doctors. Disagree, ok, but to broadcast details in a climate like we still have here is dangerous and can initiate these types of problems for doctors who are treating Lyme. It is sad because the doctors he took punches at are the ones who could have helped him the most. Maybe the "idiots" saw that and took advantage of it? 4. I will not, nor can I encourage others to jump on a band wagon that hasn't even been built yet... or one we don't have all the facts for in advance. 5. When we take up a cause, we won't quit and we will go the extra 500 miles, but we must insist on knowing the all facts before we jump on or ask others to go in that direction. ```````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- Should we go ahead without you? If anyone wants to do something, it is your choice and your right to do so. Just please remember for all of our sakes that the actions you (or I) would take may do more harm than good (for the doctor himself and those to follow).... And more often than not, without a detailed plan, disaster can happen and will. If you are comfortable taking that risk on your own ... rather than waiting for a plan and/or help and advise from others (his lawyer)... that is your decision to make. ````````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- Should we contact the legislators now? A- What would we say?
So, I would advise no ... not now.. maybe later IF anything becomes of this. I've tried to educate legislators for years. I know pretty much who can help and who will turn this into a disaster (most of them will have this in disaster mode- knowingly or not). And until there are actual charges, there is nothing they can do for him. Their standard answer basically will be .. if there even is one... that the medical board has a job to do and there is nothing wrong with what they are doing- and the legislators will be correct in that answer. Worse yet, they will most likely just forward your letter to the health department (aka Hopkins) for them to respond to it. THEN you've notified people who gutted our bills and those who play kissy face with the IDSA down at the school yard. If you only knew, well, I just would NOT stir that pot right now. We have time to act IF action needs to be taken. And IF we need to act, LOTS of action from us as a group vs a few here and there is better, don't you think? ````````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- Should we begin immediately. A- It has been less than 12 hours since a comment was made about this on an internet blog. I will not go into action on that say alone. If someone wants to prep quietly behind the scenes- get emails of legislators lined up, make lists of newspapers/radio/tv for press releases, interviews, etc... and such.. good. If not used for this, we can use it elsewhere. ````````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- This is different from other doctor's cases because it is Hopkins. Oh how awful Hopkins has been to so many of us! I understand THAT concern, I do. But... The IDSA has most likely been behind all of these cases against our doctors. I can't think of one where they haven't been. If there is a fight.. it will be hard. The one thing I've learned is before we do anything.. we must have a plan in place. And remember... by sticking together we have whipped them before. But it took ALL of us working together to do it and LOTS of good hard work and planning. My suggestion is .. if this is your doc... to try to find another doctor if you can, ASAP. Once a doctor is distracted by this sort of thing, their attention is diverted and you are better off finding help elsewhere, for their sake and yours. ````````````````````````````````````````````````` Q- Who is this doctor?
Due to the rules on the public board I can only say... It is Dr. J.. (NOT our Dr. J in CT... and NOT our Dr. J in SC). A newer doctor who is treating a few Lyme patients (in Germantown, Maryland)... NOT one of our ILADS docs.