Arizona's homeopathic board is the second chance for doctors who may not deserve one

"It is this careless language that I believe led to the death of the unfortunate woman in Anthem last summer who underwent liposuction under local anesthesia. This language in this bill does not preclude another such tragedy occurring."

Chris Springer, executive director of the Arizona Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners, is also the board's only employee. And she's a part-time employee. For 30 hours a week, Springer wears the hats of application reviewer, phone answerer, initial complaint investigator, liaison between other boards and spokeswoman, among others. Before this job, she was the director of the state's board of nursing home administrators.

Springer has a few things to say about the audit and the potential new laws that would affect the board. She says there will be no more second chances for doctors who've lost their licenses elsewhere, regardless of what the Legislature does this session. Her board is getting tough, Springer says. "The second chance isn't going to happen anymore."

As if the fallout from last year's audit weren't enough, Springer is fighting not just to keep the homeopathic board in existence, but also to keep her job in existence. This year, Napolitano is combining the staffs of several tiny boards. In Arizona, the concern seems to be more with consolidating office equipment and jobs than with regulation — at least, the regulation of homeopathic medicine.

In a lot of ways, Chris Springer represents the homeopathic board's six members. Down in the basement boardroom, cleaning up agendas after a recent board meeting, Springer gives her opinion of Dr. Gary Page.

She doesn't see Page as a formerly revoked doctor who found a loophole to practice in Arizona. She doesn't see him as a man whose patient died hours after a liposuction he wasn't licensed to perform.

"He has five kids and wife. Now he doesn't have a job," she says quietly. "It's sad."

Correction (posted April 24, 2008): It should have been stated that Dr. Rick Shacket surrendered his California medical license after a felony conviction for tax fraud.