Arizona Medical Board's hands-off approach to relapsed addict physicians is endangering patients

I think it's unfair to say that the state's approach to dealing with physicians and substance abuse is largely "hands-off". By statute, all physicians and their affiliated entities are required to report such behavior and usually do, backed by legal teams and the comfort of knowing their little "slip-up" will remain confidential. Whenever a doctor or licensed healthcare provider is accused of or admits to any kind of substance abuse, the first thing that occurs is an automatic interview, drug screen and referral, with merit, to an evaluation facility of the state's choosing. Oftentimes long-standing abuse issues are noted or detected during, if necessary, treatment. As far as I'm aware, the state medical board does review and randomly drug-screen these physicians between 2 to 5 years after the incident occurs. If the general public would not have to screen for more than 5 years, why should the physician, especially since it's on their dime the entire time? I'm not condoning the drugged-up physician's actions and certainly would not want to be operated on by a physician with a relapse in his past. It just seems unfair to say that one of the only state agencies taking their role in protecting the public seriously is being targeted for such a complex issue. Why not focus on the lacking agencies and really bring the state of the state into the light?

Wow...I'm not really shocked to read this but wonder...

My Wife was referred to Dr. Lockincar by Cigna for a Nasal problem that required surgery. Although everything went well I wondered at the time about him. Fancy office, well dressed, doing nasal surgery? One would assume a Doctor would've been checked by Cigna before he made it onto their providor list.

I was treated by Dr. Mahl when he was working for Value Options at the Park North Site back in about 2002 until 2004. I had read about him through BOMEX and it just made me feel ill every time I went for an appointment. He seemed all jazzed up on caffeine or something and just made me nervous. I had no idea at the time as to how to change doctors. Five bucks says he relapses if he hasn't already.

I am still upset about how BOMEX handled a case wtih a anesthsia in LHC. He was a new grad from NY came in and was there to get rid of a few Drs Anesthsia(GOOD ones) he started harrrassing one esp. and they had fist fight in the Drs lounge and trashed the Drs lounge , the Ny Dr did not get fired the excellent one did. THEN a woman came in for surgery, this Dr who was making bucks for the For profit hospital HRMC; was rushing the cases. He did not wait for pregnancy test. Surgery done he gave a combination of drugs _teratogenic! and then .....wala after the surgerys over--she's pregnant. Well he ordered verbally "morning after pill " {abortion pill} from pharmacy, The pharmacist came to OR wanting to know why they needed that in surgery. Well this NY Dr Samuel Rosanthal,extubated in OR and woke her up in the OR (not usual procedure) and told her she's pregnant and she needed to take this pill tried shoving it down her throat, she was wake enough to refuse. Surgery techs and nurses standing their and no one said a word. I find out and called the police , this is pre meditated attempted murder, "are you friends with her? and passed the phone around did nothing. Then I called the prosecutor, "I wouldnt be interested in this type of case" the woman filed a law suit so BOMEX gets involved, they made him write a letter stating he changed they way he did thing!!! So basically got a slp on the hand. This Ny Dr Samuel Rosenthal is back in NY as far as we know. The pharmiscist was flown to Good Sam after attempted suicide. He was fired from the hosptial, the woman who was also a nurse their was constructively discharged. If a nurse tried covering up a mistake like that she'd be in prison, he had to "write a letter" SHAME ON THE BOARD OD MEDICAL EXAMMINERS!!!! I hope it happens to their family.

An est. of 90,000 staph infection deaths,
An est. of 90,000 malpractice deaths,
and 10's,1,000s people suffer disabilities from medical professions
and many more because of insurance companies not providing whats needed by the doctor
And doctors are not regulated, reviewed, monitored, UNTIL their busted, and then for ONLY 5 yrs, and the this success rate is 5 out 50, and monitored for 5years.

I think this proves they can't be trusted

Wow!! What a story! Too bad the New Times omitted the best part about Dr. Locnikar's messy little license problem; the late night romp at the Cottonwood Inn where PV police found him with a drugged and disoriented stripper. You can read about it here... http://www.azdo.gov/docimages/2669_01_25_2006_103423.pdf
And he is applying to get his license back??? Well, he just may get it as he expects to. As a DO, Dr. Locnikar is subject to the much more lenient osteopathic board. If he was an MD, and monitored be the allopathic board, there would be no discussion... DENIED. That is the real travesty here. We should first enact legislation to fold the osteopathic board under the umbrella of the much more rigorous allopathic board, then make any changes necessary to protect ALL patients, not just continue to hack away at the problems piecemeal on different fronts.

it is no wonder Drs have turned to drugs, when you look at the patients they are catering to. Drug seekers, demanding family members who have POA in hand who dont want to take care of them or take any responsiblity, non compliant, law suit happy indiviuals, lawyers ready to pounce, the life of Dr is not what is used to be, between the paper work and the phone calls that have to be placed to the dr in the middle of the nite because, pt/family demands it, the hours worked, no respect. They give the drug seekers the drugs knowing they arent in pain and hope they leave and move on the next hospital, it is a nitemare the cover your ass that is done just because of agencys , looking over your shoulder. Look at the hospitalist on 30 year probation for alcohol, drug seeking non complient for not getting old records ,(that would proobably use his ink up on his fax ) it is time consuming, for what to legally dish out narcotics. then BOMEX has a {martha steawart list for drug seeking patients} list goes on and on. these people do it to themselves. It is rare to find a "real Patient" BOMEX needs to work the bedside just like the St Bd of nurses, put on their scrubs!

This is perhaps one of the most poorly written, scandalous articles I've read on the subject. And to end things just as sloppily, the last point, made by Dr. Grade's wife, completely contradicts the article's inital message.
Medicine is becoming less gratifying of a profession because of the general attitudes that society seems to confer upon doctors. Everyone demands perfect results, designer drugs, service with a smile, and immediate availability. It seems like the public, in general, with their litiginous and impetuous attitudes are driving practicing physicians into earlier retirement, sub-specialization, and overall, a state of resentment and mistrust of the people they dedicated so many years of their life into helping. Physicians fall under the same percentages of divorce, substance abuse, and mental health issues that the general population falls under (just as lawyers, pharmacists, nurses, accountants, etc. do). Yet, as the Board supports, one less physician in Arizona leaves thousands without care. Perhaps a strong component of training physicians needs to be on how to handle the stress of life-long dehumanization.

It's about time somebody recognized this was going on. I remember talking to the board about Locknikar, and they werent very concerned at all about Locknikar's drug use. He took my money and I was never able to find him again. Plus, he did my eye's while under the influence. Nicest guy, very charming and most people like him. Great surgeon, but very tragic circumstances. But the board let it happen---fully aware of the situation.

I was under Dr. Grade's care for 11 years. He was always thoughtful and patient. Sometimes we waited to see him for hours but we didn't mind, when our turn came, he spent half an hour or more with us, suggesting various treatments, Yoga, physical therapy, Tai-chi etc. He never acted or looked "drugged out". He was always professional. The office was full of patients at 8pm in the 90's, he probably worked until much later. That would cause stress!!! Trying to walk around the office with a hip that was replaced years before and in pain from a ruptured disk in his back, yet putting the patients first, small wonder he made a "typo" on a Rx. If any one needed stress relief, it was Dr. Grade. He was working 15 hours + a day, in pain! In the new building, his hours did not decrease much. He never acted or sounded impaired. It's a shock to learn of a patients death, I can only imagine how badly he feels about that poor woman, knowing how much he cared for his patients. His wife is correct, he was a wonderful man and doctor. As for addicted doctors : There should be preventitive measures in place as there are in other professions, seeing a therapist every year is a good start, especially if the person is at risk from prior behavior, do the 5 year drug testing and see a "shrink" once a year as long as they see patients.

Tina Minasian refuses to take responsibility for HER actions. She chose to smoke against doctors orders. She chose to gain a bunch of weight after having surgery which affected her scar. If you take a pair of pants in for alteration and then you gain a bunch of weight and force yourself into those pants, what happens? The seems bust. Not the doctors fault! She lost her lawsuit and appeals because there was NO malpractice. She has spent over 5 years stalking this doctor and his family. This is all about revenge against a doctor that didn't make her beautiful, didn't fix her marrital problems, and didn't make her rich. For more on the truth, you can go to:

www.standingup4truth.blogspot.com

Thanks for another great expose. It's high time that somebody starts holding these "professionals" accountable. I am so sick of hearing about people with stressfull jobs (doctors, lawyers, cops, politicians) using the excuse that "stress" made them do it. Try having to raise 9 kids on your own on a single income with chronic illnesses (diabetes/back problems) while still finding time for your kids. My mom has and continues to do it, without alchohol or drugs, most times refusing to even take prescription pain killers for her back problems. So stress? Hah! If a 52 year old woman can survive lifes harships 24 hours a day, then these little twits can survive it for how ever long their shifts are.