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Doctors glad governor decided against ouster




RENO -- Three members of a state medical board targeted for removal by Gov. Jim Gibbons because of their ties to the owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada said Saturday that the panel will be able to move forward with its investigations now that the governor has dropped his demand for their ouster.

"The governor made the appropriate move to put the focus back on the investigations and resolution of the hepatitis outbreak issue," said Dr. Daniel McBride, one of the members of the State Board of Medical Examiners initially targeted by Gibbons. "We all share the same concern about that."

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  • Gibbons on Friday ended his call for McBride and Drs. Javaid Anwar and Sohail Anjum to step down because of their associations or business dealings with Dr. Dipak Desai, owner of the clinic where health officials say unsafe medical practices resulted in at least six patients being infected with hepatitis C.

    Gibbons' press secretary, Ben Kieckhefer, said the governor plans to appoint three temporary board members to step in as the panel deals with matters involving the clinic. McBride, Anwar and Anjum have recused themselves from the inquiry.

    "I think the response he initially proposed about our resignations was unnecessary," McBride said. "The resolution we've come to is an excellent one. I'm glad that it's over and we can move on and address ourselves back to the issues."

    Whoever sits on the panel to review the medical doctors linked to the endoscopy center's troubles will take the correct disciplinary actions, McBride said.

    Anwar, president of the nine-member board, said he was pleased the panel would no longer be "distracted" by Gibbons' call for his resignation. "The board has some work to do and they need to move forward in doing the work of the people of Nevada and we are committed to that," Anwar said.

    Anjum said only: "I think it is a good decision. We will work as diligently as we can to do the best for the public."

    The physicians were in Reno on Saturday for the regular meeting of the Board of Medical Examiners, the board's first since the hepatitis C cases and their link to the endoscopy center were reported by the Southern Nevada Health District in February.

    After hiring guards to maintain the peace if things got out of hand, the board heard from no Southern Nevada residents during the public comment portion of Saturday's meeting.

    Claudio Baratcart, 72, who underwent procedures at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada in 2002 and 2007, was the only member of the public at the meeting, broadcast to Las Vegas at the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners.

    "I don't think there is any more I can say that hasn't already been said," Baratcart said.

    Review-Journal writer Annette Wells contributed to this report. Contact reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal .com or (775) 687-3900.



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    Incredulous wrote on April 01, 2008 06:40 PM: I heard on TV that now that the three doctors the Governor tried to oust are staying, that they have told the Governor, as well as Legislative Committee members to "forget it", in terms of the malpractice complaints against local doctors going back up on the BME website.

    So much for informing the consumer. Once again, if you need serious medical treatment, go to Utah or California.


    Joe wrote on March 30, 2008 07:46 PM: Gibbons is a joke. Not a good one either.
    More than 100 people a day are testing positive for Hepatitis but of course there is no way to prove that Doctor Death is the reason. Yeah, right.

    Nothing will be done regarding this issue until tourism starts being affected. Sad, but true.


    Dear interesting wrote on March 30, 2008 07:34 PM: It's time the balance of power on the medical board leaned towards the patients. Who better to understand the effects of a bad doctor than someone who has been hurt by one.

    We all know that doctors have the portion of their brain that allows them to care removed while in medical school. It's part of the class on live medical experiments. (You're just too eager to please your professors to stop and ask, why are we doing this?)


    interesting wrote on March 30, 2008 03:53 PM: Oh, and JB, you're right, I am a doctor. But I'm not "into hurting people." My patients are usually overweight smokers who are diabetic and hypertensive all on their own. They can blame their PCP's all they want but no one prevents them from exercising, changing your lifestyle and taking their meds but that's the last thing they want to do. I don't have to be "into hurting people", because you guys do that to yourselves on a daily basis without my help.


    interesting wrote on March 30, 2008 03:38 PM: I am just confused. Everybody on this board believes that it is not objective and fair to have doctors on the medical board because they will support fellow doctors in their decisions. So, isn't having people affected by malpractice on the board just the complete other end of the spectrum? Won't they just support anybody who brings up a suit against a doctor whether it is justified or not? How is that any better? Why not have people without conflicts of interest?


    Vegasbaby wrote on March 30, 2008 02:12 PM: nothing never changes. it's vegas baby!


    real property real profit wrote on March 30, 2008 02:10 PM: Who owns that building on Shadow Lane? I've heard you can work out some pretty good deals in that area.


    WhatsWithThatGibbonsPicture... wrote on March 30, 2008 11:53 AM:


    In that picture above of Idiot Jim, it looks like he's about to verbally eviscerate someone, then lost his train of thought.

    Or, he's in a staring match with his wife.

    No, he's in a staring match with the Coldwell and Banker portraits.

    Actually, that picture is the avitar the Devil uses for his blog entries.




    JB wrote on March 30, 2008 11:41 AM: "interesting" is obviously a doctor who is into hurting people. AllsNotWell is onto something.

    I'm not the JB who agreed with AllsNotWell.


    LV resident wrote on March 30, 2008 11:17 AM: This will just be another case of Dr's protecting Dr.'s...and at the patient's expense. The three should have been removed; they were well aware of Desai's methods and practices and chose to keep quiet. All Dr's concerned, including these three, will eventually walk away from their shameful and criminal practices; only their patients will suffer. It is obvious, despite their claims of concern for patient safety and their holier than thou attitudes; their objective is maintaining their positions on their lofty pedestals...while continuing to fill their pockets. What an embarrassment to Las Vegas and the state of NV.


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