Medical Malpractice at Dartmouth Medical School: Expose

(Salem-News.com) - Every once in a while, I get totally freaked out reading about or seeing something about my almost sacred profession - MEDICINE.

About 2 weeks ago CBS News' 60 Minutes, had a program "The Cost of Dying". It was all about dying in a hospital I.C.U. (Intensive Care Unit). The patient had tubes, wires, sensors and a ton of equipment scattered all over the place. This was/is fairly typical, even if you watch TV medical shows. It boggles the mind. It was pointed out that about 75% of deaths occur in hospitals or nursing homes. Hospital costs in this situation run about $10,000 per day - which should scare the sox off anybody - but it doesn’t seem to do so, as long as it is paid for by Medicare, which is at the root of this story.

I’m surprised (yes surprised) that Dartmouth Medical School would air this dirty laundry.

The worst surprise was that the doctor, Dr. Ira Byack, offering this exposé is/was considered one of the best doctors in New Hampshire. I will say he did have the cojones.

He did point out that the last two months of Americans' lives in the U.S. costs $55 billion, and that this prolongation of life for all of us is not only futile but painful and degrading, and that about 30% of the time these $10,000/day treatments have no positive impact in any way on our final exit.

Truly the craziest factor (those are the words) is that a platoon of doctors, 25 to be exact, were somehow called in as consultants on this case. One doctor even did a “Pap Smear” on an 80 year old dying woman!?!

We have all heard that the Medicare System is broken, but it looks more to me like a backyard gold mine or money printing press. These 25 doctors collectively received at least $100 each and probably more for their 5 minute consultation.

I worked with several hospital based doctors and one time I asked my mentor, “Why are you calling in these 5 or 6 other doctors?” “Leveque, it’s to share the blame in case some patient’s family has an attorney who needs more money.”

This is a sad situation in the practice of medicine, but the Medical Insurance Companies know they have the doctors by the cojones. About the only way the doctors can get ahead, or just break even, is by billing Medicare... and that works.

ISN'T THIS SAD FOR TAXPAYERS?!?!

More information on the history of Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of Phil Leveque about his experiences in WWII.
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier.

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com: Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

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Sam Jaffe August 12, 2010 6:02 pm (Pacific time)

"Every once in a while I get totally freaked out reading about or seeing something about my almost sacred profession MEDICINE." As per the state of Oregon this website should be informing their readers on every article by this doctor that he had his license pulled. It takes an incedible amount of abuse (etc.) for a medical license to be pulled and this doctor had it pulled for CAUSE! Hopefully there will be an investigation real soon, for CAUSE!

Editor: to the contrary, your information is totally incorrect. It takes merely stepping to a different political beat to lose your medical license in this lame state. Dr. Leveque is a pioneer; I realize you can't spell very well, perhaps you aren't that bright of a bulb, but do you know what that means? He helped Oregon establish its medical marijuana law and they were out to get him over that, stupid. For those who think that was rude, I will tell you that this little scrawl above was modified; nobody will talk like that about Dr. Leveque around here. He's a war hero, are you? His wife was a Holocaust survivor, whose father was a Jewish doctor. Dr. Leveque fought the Nazi's in France and he is a hundred times the man over most you will ever meet.

Here is what Dr. Leveque did: he signed a medical marijuaan permit for a patient who could not reasonably come to Portland for a physical due to a severe handicap. The patient was obese and unable to travel. Dr. Leveque knew the patient qualified under state law, so he wrote the permit without a physical, whoopee doo! There you go Sam, there is your sizzling crime, feel good about that? Taking out one of the most experienced doctors in the NW over such a small thing? He perhaps deserved a fine, but not to have his license taken away by a medical board that is completely biased in favor of big pharma which you know and I know this is all about.

Now let's talk about doctors and medical boards. Ever been to Tennessee? Did you know that a doctor there was convicted of murdering his wife and mother in law and then, after serving time in prison, reinstated as a physician? Oh yeah, it is interesting as hell, and the guy lived to kill again! We have covered it, read it and weep: Mar-15-2010: Hannibal Lecter Gets Away with Murder in Tennessee - Marianne Skolek Salem-News.com.

Yeah Sam, that is pretty sad that you thought you could take a pot shot at a distinguished and railroaded American War Hero like Dr. Phil Leveque and get away with it; someone who has helped thousands of veterans and not just with medical marijuana, but with their struggles against being afflicted with PTSD. Regardless of what some people might say, he has millions of fans worldwide and is particularly popular in places like Australia. Heck, he helps all of them. Also, Dr. Leveque was a Doctor of Pharmacology long before becoming a Doctor of Osteopathy, he was a medical school professor for 25 years, and he is a Forensic Toxicologist who you wouldn't want on the opposite team in court.

Big pharma is a deadly scourge in this nation, and so are doctors with small closed minds. Marijuana should not be illegal. Dr. Leveque had the guts to say that in public and paid by having a board revoke his license. By the way, we have some plans for investigating that whole debacle, that plan was launched when we learned about the doctor in Tennessee. Dr. Leveque IS a doctor. Back to school with you Sam, get the hell out of here.

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