By: Dr. Bahrani Padmanabhan – Feb. 17
Recently in response to an Executive Order from President Trump which sought to delay by 3 months the entry of citizens from 7 countries singled out by President Obama, the Massachusetts Medical Society issued an opposing press release and all but joined with Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey in the Anti-Trump Resistance.
Said MMS President Dr James Gessner “When physicians are targeted based on their nation of origin, it has the potential to stifle innovative medical research, hinder patient access to care, and violate our fundamental commitment to all patients. The MMS is proud to support physicians of all backgrounds who share a commitment to improving lives.”
The Society of course was perfectly within its rights to do so. But it stuck out like a sore thumb to me because the Society has never ever issued a press release in support of local doctors who stood up for their patients and the standards of their profession only to be crushed by the Massachusetts Board of Medicine in retaliation.
Four years ago I emailed the then President Dr. Aghababian to ask him what the Society did to help whistleblower doctors who were being crushed by the Board in retaliation. Dr. Aghababian wrote back that such things did not happen here.
Fri, Nov 16, 2012 at 8:53 AM
Richard.Aghababian@umassmed.edu
“I am not aware of any such cases in MASS. RA”
So I emailed current President Dr. Gessner requesting him to issue a press release in support of Dr. Sheldon Schwartz who blew the whistle at Arbour Hospital and is being crushed by the State Medical Board, as we speak.
After all, if the Society can issue a press release in support of Muslims who are still outside this country and whose visas would be delayed by 3 months, it can very well issue one in support of Dr. Schwartz, who has been here for 20 years, has a public track record of upholding the highest standards of the medical profession, and has been a loyal member of the Society to boot.
I wrote:
“It does not escape anyone’s attention that the MMS has issued press releases in favor of foreigners but has never stood up to protect deserving local physicians from the state medical board, specifically whistleblowers such as Dr. Sheldon Schwartz who is facing severe retaliation from UHS’ Arbour Hospital via the institutionally corrupt
State Medical Board. Why is there an MMS press release about foreign Muslims but not about Dr. Schwartz?
I can never forget a previous MMS President denying that whistleblower retaliation even exists here in Massachusetts. (pasted in below)
And then there is the ongoing travesty involving poor Dr. Nadolny where the board is refusing to return his license despite a total smack-down of the board by the DALA magistrate.
See https://valleypatriot.com/state-med-board-suspended-dr-just-to-make-nice-with-charlie-baker/
Why is there an MMS press release about foreign Muslims but not about Dr. Nadolny?”
Dr. Gessner eventually did email me back. “Please be aware that we share your concern for our fellow physicians and that we are actively engaged in advocacy with the Board throughout the year on a wide variety of matters that affect physicians and the practice of medicine.
MMS, however, is not advised of every case concerning an individual physician that goes before the Board and many cases are subject to executive sessions. With regard to individual physicians, who are generally represented by legal counsel, we would not consider involvement in any proceedings before the Board without a request from the individual physician.”
His email, clearly drafted by a lawyer for the Society and not an email one doctor writes to another, totally avoided the issue of a press release by falsely claiming I had asked the Society to intervene in individual legal proceedings before the Board.
No real doctor would have written this. But the message is clear. The Massachusetts Medical Society fully supports the local corrupt swamp and totally refuses to issue even a press release in support of Dr. Schwartz and other superb caring physicians presently being crushed by the reptiles in the institutionally corrupt swamp called the Board of Registration in Medicine.
At his first Address to the Joint Session of Congress, President Trump publicly again committed to “drain the swamp of government corruption.”
The Massachusetts Medical Society has made as clear a declaration as can be that it is opposed to this effort. No wonder the Society, Maura Healey and Charlie Baker are such good friends.
Bharani Padmanabhan MD PhD is a neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis in the Boston area. scleroplex@gmail.com