Aug 4, 2007 12:21 am US/Pacific
Senator Pushes Bill To Continue Failed Program
by Kurtis Ming
(CBS13)
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An unanimous vote ended the diversion program. Board members stated it was a conflict of interest to claim the program can protect patients from drug and alcohol abusing doctors.
AP
The California Medical Board voted to abolish a flawed program, that allows doctors with drug and alcohol problems to still treat patients. Senator Mark Ridley Thomas has had a bill out there for months that would keep the program going for an additional two years.
Even though the Medical Board now says it knows it can't keep this program and adequately protect us, the senator has not changed his bill yet.
Despite the Medical Board's unanimous vote to end the problem plagued diversion program, Senator Mark Ridley Thomas' bill remains intact, written to extend it an additional two years.
"Ultimately saving doctors is better than disposing of them," said Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas (D) Los Angeles, in June 2007 after we showed him video of our investigation of the program and Dr. Brian West.
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You could call West the poster child for how the state failed to protect the public. The Medical Board knew Dr. West had an alcohol problem after his two drunk driving arrests. Instead of punishing him, the Medical Board allowed Dr. West to continue seeing patients, after he was let to secretly enroll in the diversion program.
His patients had no idea. Several who ended up hurt testified before the medical board last week.
Five audits in 27 years show the program has never adequately protected the public. Members of the board decided during last week's quarterly hearing they couldn't keep the program and carry out their primary purpose.
What happens to Ridley Thomas' bill to extend diversion?
He denied our repeated requests to meet with him this week, but his office told us the bill won't die.
The senator released a statement:
"The fact that the board has proposed to end this program by June 2008, does not release it from its legal obligation to operate this program until that time. This issue demands considerable attention and I am working with all vested parties to identify a program that will restore the public's trust."
Instead of introducing a new bill, Ridley Thomas plans to amend the existing one. It has to pass both the Senate and Assembly by mid September.
The Medical Board voted to phase out the current diversion program by June of next year. Board members want diversion to continue, but they say it should be run outside the Medical Board.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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