craigdailypress.com

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

@heidiclick:
As you so quoted: “…the Privacy Rule is balanced so that it permits the disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes.”

Good for you, that you can sleep with a good conscience.

HIPPA was established to protect a patient's privacy, especially from discrimination due to medical conditions they may have (among other things). It was not created for the medical profession or other agencies to hide behind if they failed to perform patient care to the best of their abilities based on all the information that is available to them.

I know Dr. Miller provides the best medical care possible based on all the information he has available to him. I do also know, there are people who do not like him; no one is perfect. I hope that this investigation is not perpetrated by big egos and personal vendettas. There appear to be valid complaints but are they magnified here, what is the big picture? Due to HIPPA and lack of resources to place effort there, we the public will unlikely see how the statistics stack up against other doctors in similar demographics and situations.

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

I find it interesting that the Craig Daily Press has hidden the original article with all the comments. This is a perfect example of how backwards and impartial the agencies, who are supposed to provide a public service to this town, truly are.

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

Heidi & juston:
Thanks for your responses. You have every right to your opinion. This is a forum for all, and it also demonstrates that there are two sides to every story, and that all the facts just aren't available to you or me.

I just wonder though, so many citizens and colleagues have been following this so closely, did you look out for the goodwill of and well-being of all, patients and provider, so they can all be healthy and successful. Or, did you just sit on the sidelines waiting, watching, and hoping for a train wreck, even help push it off the tracks? People judge, they enjoy seeing another's misery, and feed the fire through gossip and ill will, because it makes your own existence seem better. Inaction is a conspiracy; as much as it is important to report to authorities, it is also a service to bring attention to who you believe may be a perpetrator. Could they possibly be a victim too?

Only your conscience and God know if you truly practiced good intentions through your observations of these events transpiring.

And no, this is not Dr. Miller. I fear some times, what I write may be hurting him so I will try to abstain for now.

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

By the way, justoncrack, are you Ryan Hess?

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

heidiclick is not a real pharmacist. Unless you give us your real name, you have no legs to stand on.

But, if you do work in a pharmacy, and saw these prescriptions filled, did YOU knowingly allow these prescriptions to be filled which should not have been prescribed? Did YOU ever contact Dr. Miller to raise your concerns? Don't you have a duty to help the patients as well as your fellow doctor?

You do realize patients lie to their doctors, but it is a doctor's duty to care for their patients and when they say they are in pain they have to believe them to some extent. They do their best to validate and re-validate their diagnosis. Doctors are often between a rock and a hard place.

Dr. Miller has only been in Craig for a few years, so he doesn't know every drug addict in town.

If you really are a pharmacist you had a duty to make a difference.

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

justoncrack sounds like someone who could be in the law enforcement.

Trying to underhandedly push your agenda. Hmmmm.

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

Dr. Miller is a doctor who repeatedly goes out of his way helping his patients:

> Bending over backwards to get his patients access to medical care and equipment they can't afford.

> Helping in ways that aren't even medical because his patients don't have access to help or protect themselves.

There is so much the public can't possibly know because of client-patient privacy.

*****patients - Please share your stores!!!*****

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

Unfortunately, people love gossip and will help spread slanderous untruths for the sake of having something interesting to talk about. They don't have anything to back up what they say, so they resort to name-calling. Grow up, people. Go to the source and look at their credibility and motives.

There are a lot of smart people here in Craig who will speak up and stand behind Dr. Miller, because it's the right thing.

Don't let gossip ruin a wonderful doctor's career and your community's access to a caring physician and the best medical care.

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

cont'd: PART 4 of 4

After examining the past five years, I find myself in a difficult position. This mistreatment, and being denied the ability to work in the Emergency Department for the past two years, I cannot afford to stay in Craig / Moffat County professionally or financially. The E.R. represented almost 50% of my income. This seems to be the same method the hospital has used in the past to rid themselves of Dr. Told's associates. So like the others, I regretfully am forced to leave Craig / Moffat County and terminate my privileges at The Memorial Hospital as of November 30th, 2007 and leave the community and county, less one more physician, which is already in the midst of a physician shortage. I struggle with this decision because I truly enjoy working as a physician in this community and I will miss the people and my patients.
Please accept this as my official notice of resignation.

Sincerely,
Joel Miller, D.O., A.B.F.P.

END.

Thanks for your support of Dr. Miller and Dr. Told.

BlueMoon81625 (Anonymous) says…

cont'd: PART 3

It has been my observation that the leadership of TMH is trying to model the hospital after an urban/metro area facility. Meaning that they are trying to build a tiered medical staff with internal medicine, pediatrics and Ob/Gyn as the base of primary care and then a layer of specialists, e.g., in general surgery, anesthesiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, rheumatology, neurology, cardiology, etc., then a layer of sub-specialists such as intensive specialties for Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics, and Adults; surgical specialties such as orthopedics, urology, Gyn, ENT, neuro cardiothoracic, etc. While I agree that in a perfect world this scenario would be ideal, it is obvious to the layman this system cannot work in Craig/Moffat County because of financial, population, and geographic factors. It is not that I or anyone else does not want this model, it is just not practical, at this time. The practical solution is the solution every other rural community in the country has adopted, a primary care and referral system. This means a solid base of primary care including family practice and internal medicine with a wide variety of skills (medical, procedural and surgical), a strong general surgery department which refer cases out of their area of expertise to other facilities for further treatment. It is no wonder there is friction between TMH, with their urban-model approach, and the general community at-large, which includes the current primary care providers who are more realistic and satisfied with the system that we already have and is functioning. With this in mind, I feel that TMH's Board of Directors and Administration does not represent the community or the current primary care base. It is just my personal belief. A professional and educated board should place the welfare of the community first. I question whether the incumbents are qualified and concerned agents, and it is my opinion, the community should reconsider who presides in these positions.

cont'd