Monday, March 17, 2008

An apology from the Governor!


It wasn't aimed at me specifically, but to the media in general. The governor apologized for using the word "buffoonery" while describing media coverage of the health care crisis. The news release hasn't been posted on the Governor's website yet .. so here is what the release says on this "buffoonery" issue:

"The governor also said he regretted using the word “buffoonery” while describing media coverage of the health care crisis. “My intention was to be sure that people were not fearful of seeking medical care because of the intense media coverage, it was a poor choice of words and I regret it,” Gibbons said.

On Sunday, the Governor also said he will ask three members of the Board of Medical Examiners to resign. This came two days after the three doctors said they would recuse themselves from any decisions on discipline, or the investigation, regarding the doctors involved in the hepatitis/hiv scare.

It turns out the President of the Board of Medical Examiners, Javaid Anwar, MD, The Vice President, Sohail Anjum, MD, and board member Daniel McBride, MD all have financial, professional or personal ties to some of the doctors in this scare, including Dr. Dipak Desai. Desai owns the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Desai, as we've written about before, was also involved in the effort to limit malpractice damages in Nevada, which was approved by voters.

Will the three doctors resign from the Board? A spokesman for the Governor says they can't be fired. They were appointed to the position. The executive director of the Board of Medical Examiners, Tony Clark, has also been asked to resign by the Governor. The Gibbons spokesman says since Clark works for the Board of Medical Examiners, the Governor can't fire him either.

Gibbons does plan to name replacements to the board very soon.

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