Bill 1377 Update

Feb 16, 2001- Bill 1377 Update

I have some great news! The Government and Veterans Affairs House Committee voted almost unanimously voted to not pass HB 1377 late yesterday.

That means it's not very likely to pass the House floor vote.

Thank you to everyone who helped us get this accomplished.

Now we have to work on 1262 when it goes to the Senate.

1262 currently has been amended so that it adds term limits to the Podiatry Board which were not present before. That is a step in the right direction.

When our State Association met by phone conference last week we talked about several other changes that we would like to see for our Board. These changes are for the purpose of making the Board less of a dictatorship and to have the Board carry out it's functions the way it should.

* Remove the MD on the Board and have that position filled by another Podiatrist.

* The Governor should choose from a nomination made by the majority of the Podiatrists in the state. Not from a recommendation from the Board as has been done in the past. If the Board is allowed to decide who is going to be the next person to be added to the Board it allows the possibility for a self serving Board. The feeling was to have the nomination come from the State Association which may encourage Podiatrists who are non members to become members of the State Association.

* Conflict of Interest Statement

* Removal of a Board member by vote of 70% of the Podiatrists in the state.

* Statute of Limitations for complaints. One of the current complaints against me that the Board has decided to have a formal compliant issued for involves a patient who I treated about 8 years ago and for some reason decided to send in a complaint about 6 months ago. Of course the records from 1994 and 1995 indicate that Olson was grooming her for a compliant back then.

The Senate Committee members are listed below. Please help me to start contacting them regarding the Board and these problems. I think we are getting very close to having this dictatorship and peer review sham broken up.

Thank you for all of your help.

Brian

HUMAN SERVICES

(Meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday)

Judy Lee - Chairman.

Ralph L. Kilzer - Vice Chairman