16 Dec 2011

UK Daily Mail: MD gets $6-million award for hospital bullying when pregnant

Huge payout: Dr Eva Michalak, 53, was awarded a whopping £4.5million after being forced out of her £90,000-per-year job
Huge payout: Dr Eva Michalak, 53, was awarded a whopping £4.5million after being forced out of her £90,000-per-year job
A top woman doctor has been awarded a staggering £4.5million compensation after being hounded out of her job when she had a baby.
The whopping payout is enough to pay the salaries of 210 nurses earning an entry-level salary of £21,176.
Dr Eva Michalak, 53, was the first consultant physician at Pontefract General Infirmary to take maternity leave.
But senior doctors turned on her because of the pregnancy and invented spurious allegations to force her out.
The £90,000-per-year consultant was sacked after enduring a five-year campaign of harassment.
The doctor's husband Dr Julian DeHavilland, 44, had told the hearing his wife was unable to carry out everyday tasks and was reluctant to leave the house.
Experts said it was unlikely she would completely recover.
A tribunal ruled yesterday that Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust - who are having to make £31million in efficiency savings - must payout a whopping £4,452,206.60 in compensation.

In a damning judgement, the tribunal in Leeds, West Yorkshire, said it had been 'outraged' at the way senior staff had behaved towards Polish born Dr Michalak.
While she was away she was subjected to a horrendous campaign of harassment and colleagues falsely claimed she had bullied junior doctors.
They appointed a locum to cover a workload and nine staff were awarded a pay rise to cover her extra responsibilities while she was away.
After returning to work Dr Michalak was repeatedly suspended before being dismissed in July 2008 for no reason.
A tribunal last year found she had faced unlawful sex and race discrimination.
Yesterday she was awarded £1.1million for loss of past and future earnings plus £660,000 for loss of pension.
She was also awarded a cash payout for injury to her feelings and psychiatric injuries. Exemplary damages were also awarded against the Trust.
Dr Michalak had claimed damages of more than £9m.
 

She was appointed in 2002 to do rounds on the Medical Admissions Ward.
After she fell pregnant, secret meetings were held between senior doctors where it was agreed by Eva's head of department Dr Colin White and another senior worker that they would be seen to support her while actually trying to end her employment.
Shortly after being appointed medical director of the trust, Dr David Dawson then launched an investigation and, on the advice of another doctor suspended her in January 2006.
Forced out: Dr Eva Michalak, 53, was the first consultant physician at Pontefract General Infirmary to take maternity leave
Forced out: Dr Eva Michalak, 53, was the first consultant physician at Pontefract General Infirmary to take maternity leave
A doctor appointed to independently investigate the complaints realised the fictional claims would be hard to prove after interviewing several junior doctors.
Just one claim of bullying had been made - and that was later revoked.
But the suspension dragged on for two-and-a-half years while further 'evidence' was gathered against her before her dismissal.
The tribunal panel ruled that the medical director engineered the departure.
As they awarded damages yesterday the panel said in a damning statement: 'We are positively outraged at the way this employer has behaved.
'The claimant has lost her role and status. She is never going to return to work as a doctor, a profession which she cherished together with all the status that brings with it.
'In our view, simply undergoing those experiences with all the unpleasantness, anxiety, worry and fear that it caused the claimant amply justify an award for injury to feelings.'
Dr Michalak's husband quit his role as a scientific researcher to look after his wife and represented her at the tribunal.
Dr Michalak, who lives with her husband and eight-year-old son in Leeds, said after the previous hearing: 'I suffered years of psychological abuse. They basically hounded me because I had a baby. They destroyed my life, my health and my career.
'The last seven years have been a living hell. Their dishonesty was staggering. It was frightening and sinister how these people could abuse their positions and harass and bully me.
'I was so stressed I was crying on my way to work. I have been profoundly traumatised by the conduct of fellow doctors.'
Julia Squire, chief executive at the Trust, said: 'We have only just received the judge's decision on the compensation and this is based on very complex and lengthy calculations. We will need time to carefully consider these.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2074963/Top-woman-doctor-awarded-staggering-4-5-MILLION-hounded-job-baby.html#ixzz1ght0GNpl

12 Dec 2011

CPSO ASSESSORS

TOP CPSO Assessors of 2009 by number of assessments. Approx $1000/day + travel expenses.
GP  Renee Blumenfeld  MD (Toe.89)  (19)
GP. Jeffrey Habert MD (Tor.87)  (22) \
both practice at 2900 Steeles East, Suite 206, THORNHILL (N/E suburb of Toronto)
GP. J. Thomas Keogh (19) MD (Tor.74) BRAMPTON (N/W suburb of Toronto)
Ob/GYN  Ronald Livingstone (19) MD (Belfast 1963) 123 Edward St, Medical Building Central TORONTO
GP Toomas Sauks (16) MD(Tor.72) OWEN SOUND. 160,000 pop town 100 miles N/W of Toronto.on Georgian Bay 

METHADONE
GP Martin White (16) MD(Ottawa 72) CARLTON PLACE pop.10,000; 30 m. S/W of Ottawa.
GP Iris Greenwald (19) MD (Tor.95) RICHMOND HILL (N/E suburb of Toronto. 

Independent Health Facilities Program:
More than 10 assessments
Ms Sheila Collins (24) (NON PHYSICIAN)
Ms Lori Davis (11) (NON PHYSICIAN)
Nuclear Med/ Radaiologist David Gilday (30) MD(McGill 66) 123 Edward Street,TORONTO
Mr. Louis Gorgey (20) (NON PHYSICIAN)
Dr. David Gray (13)
Dr.William Vaughan (20)
GP.Melissa Snider-Adler (33) ((UWO 87) OSHAWA

TOP SECTION assessors
Anaesthetics: Matthias Marcus "Matt" KURREK MD(Wurzburg,Germany 1986) FRCPC 1994) Scarborough (Community) Hospital,-Eastern Toronto Suburb


Dermatology  Rodion Andrew "Rod" KUNYNETZ (Ukranian speaker) MD(Tor.77) FRCPC (1982) Office BARRIE,small community North of Toronto

Haematology Kevin Robert IMRIE (French speaker) MD(Ottawa 88) FRCPC (1994) SUNNYBROOK UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CANCER CENTRE ( North Toronto)

(COMMENT:NO AGE LIMIT of CPSO COUNCIL, COMMITTEES & ASSESSORS.Mainly small town & suburban GPs. A consideration before deciding to practice in Ontario.)

(COMMENT: The CPSO sets the standard of Clinical practice outside University Medical,schools and Research facilities. Being ABOVE the technical standard is particularly dangerous. Non-clinical medicine is safest medico-legally. ( A Professor of Obstetrics had to defend himself.against a woman who clained he had promised a NO PAIN vaginal delivery!).

11 Dec 2011

OMA: GOVERNANCE CHANGE

Not-for-Profit Corporactions Act (ONCA) will come into force in 2012..

1) ALL-MEMBER ("shareholder")MEETINGS of 33,000 OMA members
2) DIRECT PROVINCE-WIDE mail/electronic or PROXY voting by ALL memebers
3) COUNCIL possibly replaced by selected "council" of elected members.OR
4) DIRECT MEMBER voting on ALL Motions (SWISS style of DIRECT voting)

Figures updated by OMA Staff Ms A.Kafandaris.
Present COUNCIL (293) made-up of
77 Branch Societies: 142 elected delegates
62 Sections : 110 elected delegates
11 Distrricts 41 elected delegates : 22 (Chairmn + Secretaries) + 19 District Directors.
Summary:GEOGRAPHIC Delegates= 183 (mainly GPs)
               SPECIALTY Delegates    = 100 (mainly Specialists)


Present BOARD (25) made up of
11 Districts: represented by 19 elected delegates
Clinical Teachers by ONE elected delegates.
ASSEMBLIES 2 from General Practice; 1 each from MEDICAL,SURGICAL, & DIAGNOSTIC.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:  SIX chosen by BOARD
COMMITTEES: 65 all members selected by Committee on Committees and are paid daily honoraria plus full travel & hotel expenses.

Governance planning supervised by
Past Assist. Deputy Minister Labour & Past Deputy Minister Ontario Management Board , James("Jim") R. THOMAS P.Eng.(Queen's) LLB(York) 
Centre for Creative Change Inc.
2181 Yonge St. #3302,
Toronto M4S 3H7
416 535 6994


4 Dec 2011

"Dr.Gifford-Jones" Ontario Docs frightened to do Gynae. exams.

Canada's top syndicated medical journalist, Toronto Gynaecologist K.F.WALKER MD (HARVARD 1950) FRCS(C) a.k.a "Dr.W.Gifford-Jones" wrote in EPOCH TIMES that Ontario MDs are doing fewer pelvic.& breast exams because of the fear of losing their CPSO licence under the Sex Zero-tolerance Law. The result is delayed diagnosis of Cancer. Dr.Walker stresses the medico-legal  need for a CHAPERONE while examining a female.

Problem is the expense of hiring even a low-level Registered Practical nurse as a chaperone as well as a receptionist for the State-paid, piece-work Ontario GP.

An Ontario MD has to wait at least 5 years before applying to have a licence re-activated.

Many male Ontario docs are now limiting practices to Adult males. Precedence is by OMA having separate meetings for "WOMENS" HEALTH". (More than 50% of Ontario med.students are femaale.) This also avoids the problem of persuading mothers to immunise their children  CPSO now recognises Chiropraxy,Naturopathic and Traditional Chinese medicine. Ont.MDs`can actually now be censured by the CPSO if they do not take seriously patients demands for so-called "Alternative Medicine".

3 Dec 2011

CPSO ELECTION RESULTS Dist 10 TORONTO

11,595 voters
2066 voted
18% response

ELECTED:
North Toronto GP Richard B. MacKenzie (Tor.73)  1138
Central Toronto GP-psychotherapist Marc C.GABEL (NY State U. 62) 1104
Sick Child.Hosp Paed Cardiologist Joel KIRSH (Tor 92) 1020

NOT ELECTED
Tor.Gen Hosp Psychiatrist Gerard CRAIGEN (Queen's 83) 977
East Toronto GP Kumar K.GUPTA (Manitoba 94) 853
Tor Psychiatrist Mark A. VOYSEY (Monash 78) 571
Tor. Nephrologist now GP-psych Derek A. DAVIDSON (Tor.63) 483
NorthyWest Tor. Radiologist Isadore J. CZOSNIAK (McGill 82) 476
North-Tor. Psychiatrist Toghra GHAEMMAGHAMI (nee HRAB) (Tehran 69) 193

30 Nov 2011

Serum Light Chain analysis only paid in Cancer units.

Monitoring patients with monoclonal light chain diseases but no M-spike on protein electrophoresis

Clinical Information Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test

The monoclonal gammopathies are characterized by a clonal expansion of plasma cells that secrete a monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig). The monoclonal Ig secreted by these cells serves as a marker of the clonal proliferation, and the quantitation of monoclonal protein can be used to monitor the disease course.

The monoclonal gammopathies include multiple myeloma (MM), light chain multiple myeloma (LCMM), Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), nonsecretory myeloma (NSMM), smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), primary systemic amyloidosis (AL), and light chain deposition disease (LCDD).

Monoclonal proteins are typically detected by serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) and immunofixation (IF). However, the monoclonal light chain diseases (LCMM, AL, LCDD) and NSMM often do not have serum monoclonal proteins in high enough concentration to be detected and quantitated by SPEP.

A sensitive nephelometric assay specific for kappa free light chain (FLC) that doesn’t recognize light chains bound to Ig heavy chains has recently been described. This automated, nephelometric assay is reported to be more sensitive than IF for detection of monoclonal FLC. In some patients with NSMM, AL, or LCDD the FLC assay provides a positive identification of a monoclonal serum light chain when the serum IF is negative. In addition, the quantitation of FLC has been correlated with disease activity in patients with NSMM and AL.

See Laboratory Approach to the Diagnosis of Amyloidosis and Laboratory Screening Tests for Suspected Multiple Myeloma in Special Instructions.

Reference Values Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.

KAPPA-FREE LIGHT CHAIN
0.33-1.94 mg/dL

LAMBDA-FREE LIGHT CHAIN
0.57-2.63 mg/dL

KAPPA/LAMBDA FLC RATIO
0.26-1.65

Interpretation Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results

The specificity of this assay for detection of monoclonal light chains relies on the ratio of free kappa and lambda light chains. Once an abnormal free light chain (FLC) K/L ratio has been demonstrated and a diagnosis has been made, the quantitation of the monoclonal light chain is useful for monitoring disease activity.

Changes in FLC quantitation reflect changes in the size of the monoclonal plasma cell population. Our experience to date is limited, but changes of >25% or trending of multiple specimens are needed to conclude biological significance.

Cautions Discusses conditions that may cause diagnostic confusion, including improper specimen collection and handling, inappropriate test selection, and interfering substances

Elevated kappa and lambda free light chain (FLC) may occur due to polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia or impaired renal clearance. A specific increase in FLC (eg, FLC K/L ratio) must be demonstrated for diagnostic purposes.

Moderate to marked lipemia may interfere with the ability to perform testing.

Supportive Data

Studies at Mayo Clinic have shown that in some patients with urine monoclonal light chains and negative serum immunofixation (IF), the free light chain (FLC) assay can identify monoclonal FLC in the serum. These studies support the increased sensitivity of the nephelometric FLC assay. In a series of patients with primary systemic amyloid treated by stem cell transplantation, the quantitation and monitoring of FLC predicted organ response (eg, disease course).

Clinical Reference Provides recommendations for further in-depth reading of a clinical nature

Drayson M, Tang LX, Drew R, et al: Serum free light chain measurements for identifying and monitoring patients with nonsecretory multiple myeloma. Blood 2001;97(9):2900-2902

29 Nov 2011

UK DAILY MAIL: COST of AIDS

MOUNTING COSTS OF HIV TREATMENT

The cost of treating someone with HIV in the UK is estimated to be around £18,000 per year when they are not showing any symptoms.
This is based on the price of care as well as triple-drug antiretroviral therapy.
The HIV virus can be detected in blood samples
However, it costs £21,500 to treat patients who are showing symptoms and £41,000 for those with full-blown AIDS.
Patients who have four drugs cost the NHS between £22,775 and £48,000 per year.
The annual cost of providing HIV treatment and care in the UK could be as high as £758 million by 2013, according to a study in PLoS One. 


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2067496/Number-people-HIV-UK-poised-hit-100-000-infections-rise-6-year.html#ixzz1f6DXIu6F