Outcome
Many patients have expressed concern: will I still be around to care for them? The answer is a resounding yes.
The settlement reached between myself and the Maryland Board of Medicine is an astounding victory.
I was granted full license to continue practicing in exactly the same way I have for years without any restrictions.
A war over ideology was replaced by a reprimand of an administrative nature: the best possible outcome given the posture of members of the Board.
I have my attorney Bill Askinazi and the Maryland assistant Attorney General, Victoria Peppers to thank for this great outcome.
The case landed on Ms. Pepper’s lap. My lawyer did a very good job educating the assistant AG regarding the Lyme story. Becoming knowledgeable about the controversies and the two standards of care, Ms Peppers concluded, and I paraphrase: The state of Maryland has long accepted the right of doctors to diagnosis and treat patients by means not accepted by the majority of the medical community. These statements follow the precedent set by the 2010 Medical Board letter which stated that the Board would not prosecute doctors who treat Lyme disease with long-term antibiotics.
Twenty-five pages of charges – all based on IDSA peer review were largely discarded in the findings of fact.
I accepted a reprimand from the Board, agreeing to:
Document differential diagnosis:
Document referrals to specialist.
Better explain rationale for treatment and medications.
Do a better job monitoring patients on IV antibiotics for side effects.
These are things I already do for the most part. Much of the criticism was based on charting from as far back as 2009.
All charges related to: The diagnosis of Lyme and coinfections and the general ILADS' approach to therapy (save doing a better job explaining the basis of therapy) were dismissed.
I am on probation for a year but only for the above admin items. Lyme controversies will not be at issue during the period of probation: supported by the record of the hearing.
Link Here- http://lymemd.blogspot.com