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Judge Postpones Reprimand In Jones Case
Most people know that after the decision of the Connecticut Medical
Board
in December, Dr. Jones' attorney filed an appeal. Here is a summary of what happened--all good news for the community, particularly the staying of the new four-part standard of care test inserted into the medical board opinion: The Connecticut Superior Court stayed the reprimand and the two years probation. The civil penalty, $10,000, was placed in a trust account pending appeal. Although the monitoring factor remains in place, the monitor is not permitted to use the newly enunciated four-part standard of care test (diagnosis of a condition that had a low risk, non-specific history, non-specific symptoms, and negative test) in that monitoring. Lorraine Johnson, JD, MBA CALDA
http://tinyurl.com/2p3osl
[Open in new window] Judge Postpones Reprimand In Jones Case By William Hathaway | The Hartford Courant 4:00 PM EST, February 26, 2008 A Connecticut Superior Court judge has put a reprimand temporarily on hold by state health officials of Hamden pediatrician Dr. Charles Ray Jones, whose license had been put on probation for diagnosing Lyme Disease in two out-of-state patients he had never seen. The case drew national attention because advocates for Lyme Disease patients say Jones courageously prescribes antibiotics for the tic- borne disease, which they says is often missed by doctors and existing diagnostic tests. However, many mainstream doctors have argued that Jones and other "Lyme doctors'' often overlook more likely causes of fatigue, joint pain and neurological deficits when they diagnose chronic Lyme infection, a condition they argue is rare. The medical examining board in December fined Jones $10,000 and put the 81-year old doctor on probation for two years for prescribing antibiotics to two Nevada children before he ever examined them. Jones' lawyers then filed an appeal of the decision. Under the order dated Feb. 20, a New Britain Superior Court judge Henry S. Cohn stayed the fine and probation until Jones' appeal could be heard. Lawyers for the Connecticut Health Department had argued that Jones acted inappropriately when he prescribed antibiotics to two children in Nevada, a state with a very low incidence of Lyme Disease.
Sunday, December 16, 2007 12:31 PM
THIRD MESSAGE FROM SHEILA December 12, 2007
For distribution:
Dear All,
New instructions for letters of support to the CT Board:
1. Send letters to the full board (Connecticut Medical Examining Board),
c/o Dennis O'Neill;
2. Please send your letters via snail mail,
due to concerns that mass emailing and faxing could be perceived as harassment;
3. Address:
Connecticut Medical Examining Board
c/o Dr. Dennis G. O'Neill, Chairman
410 Capitol Avenue, MS #13 PHO P. O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134-0308
Please do this ASAP - due to security clearance issues, letters may be
delayed. Send them, even if you are concerned that they may
arrive late.
5. Send copies to CT Gov Jodie Rell and to the Hartford Courant, as
well as to Dr. Jones' attorneys:
To send copies to Gov. Rell:
Governor Jodi Rell E-mail: governor.rell@po.state.ct.us
Office of the Governor State Capitol 210 Capitol Avenue Hartford, Connecticut 06106
To send letters to the Hartford Courant:
letters@courant.com To send copies to Dr. Jones' attorneys: Elliott Pollack, Esquire Christine Collyer, Esquire PULLMAN & COMLEY, LLC ATTORNEYS AT LAW 90 State House Square Hartford, CT 06103-3702 ccollyer@pullcom.com SAMPLE LETTERS: 1. LETTER to SUPPORT DR. JONES by Judy Merritt: Charles
Ray Jones is a very compassionate man and Doctor who has chosen to devote
all of his time, energy and expertise to helping very sick children regain
their lives. These are children who can't get help anywhere else, who have
been affected by the plague of Lyme Disease, and whose lives, health,
happiness and future have been restored to them by Dr. Jones. He is a man
who understands that it is a life's work to give what one is able for the
betterment of others. He is a selfless individual - a person whose values
and caring set a shining example for us all. He is a person to be
commended, not chastised, for his good deeds.
2.
Letter from the Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern
Pennsylvania, Inc.
Dr. Dennis G. O'Neill, Chairman, CT Medical Examining Board
10 Capitol Avenue, MS #13 PHO P. O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134-0308 Dear Dr. O'Neill and Board members: We are an organization of Lyme disease patients and caregivers located in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We are writing in support of Dr Charles Ray Jones and his enlightened and compassionate treatment of children with persistent Lyme and other tick borne diseases. His license to practice should not be compromised by this egregious involvement in a bitter child custody case, which, at its root, has nothing to do with the child's illness. Lyme disease is very prevalent in children in many parts of the country, and these kids suffer terribly with a wide variety of symptoms. Often, they are abandoned by the medical establishment after the cookbook approach fails to identify their disease. Pioneers like Dr Charles Ray Jones have made a huge difference in the lives of many children, including a significant number of them from our area who make the long journey to Connecticut for treatment. Under his care, they get their lives back. One or two successful outcomes would be anecdotal; dozens from our area attest to the value of Dr Jones' skills. We urge the Board to recognize the cutting-edge nature of Dr Jones' approach to Lyme disease and exonerate him from any wrongdoing. His compassion for the patient is what medicine should be about. Becoming a pawn in a custody battle is a terrible insult to this man, and the Board should see through that and do the right thing. Douglas W. Fearn President Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. www.lymepa.org P.O. Box 181 Pocopson, PA 19366 610-388-7333 lymepa@lymepa.org
Many thanks for your time, attention and efforts with this. I know that
Dr. Jones is very appreciative of the support that he has been receiving.
Sheila
Sheila
M. Statlender, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist 53 Langley Road - Suite 330C Newton Centre, MA 02459 ================================================== SECOND MESSAGE FROM SHEILA I've added some additional contact information to my previous post: Please bear in mind, as you write your letters, that both the record and the testimony indicated that Dr. Jones did not diagnose Lyme disease over the phone, nor did he prescribe antibiotics for Lyme disease telephonically, prior to seeing the children in question. What he did was to extend a prescription for Zithromax for 5 days, for a paroxysmal cough. The child in question had already been examined (twice, I think) in a local clinic, and the original prescription was written by a doc rotating through their local clinic, and no longer available. While I don't think we should lapse into "trying" Dr. Jones' case online, I caution you that there are some misconceptions out there regarding what the actual charges and facts of the case are. You can read nearly verbatim accounts of every hearing session, written by Sandy Berenbaum, by going to Kay Lyon's website, where they are posted (www.lymesite.com) Here is the contact information for writing letters of support: 1.Addresses
for letters to the Connecticut Medical Examining Board: 4. To
send letters to the Hartford Courant: Thanks for your attention to this! Sheila Sheila M. Statlender, Ph.D. FIRST Message from Sheila: People have been asking how to support Dr. Jones if they cannot make it to the hearing on December 18. Many have asked if it is wise to contact the Connecticut Medical Examining Board. After making some inquiries, it seems that the most effective way to communicate with the Board is by sending letters (asap!). Phone calls are likely to be ineffective because the Board does not have a direct line, and even if people get through its not clear that the Board members would get the messages.
If you do send letters, please copy Dr. Jones' attorney to keep them in the
loop, using the following address:
Elliott Pollack, Esquire
Christine Collyer, Esquire
PULLMAN & COMLEY, LLC
ATTORNEYS AT LAW 90 State House Square Hartford, CT 06103-3702
Connecticut Medical Examining Board
410 Capitol Avenue, MS #13PHO P. O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134-0308 Governor Jodi Rell Mailing Address: Office of the Governor State Capitol 210 Capitol Avenue Hartford, Connecticut 06106 Connecticut Department of Public Health
Hartford Courant: http://www.courant.com/about/hc-contactus,0,6309677.story
OPINION/LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Courant welcomes letters on
matters of public interest. To send a letter, use this
link. http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/letters/thc-letters,0,1754910.customform
To contact the opinion staff click
here. http://www.courant.com/about/custom/thc/thc-editorial,0,3864587.htmlstory
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