FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jo Johnson
Rita L. Stanley, Ph.D.
Dec. 1, 1999
PATIENTS PROTEST HARASSMENT OF DOCTORS WHO TREAT LYME DISEASE
AT NY OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CONDUCT
An organized demonstration of Lyme disease sufferers will be held
outside
the Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC), 5 Penn Plaza, New York,
NY on Wednesday, December 8, from 12 noon to 2:00 PM. A press conference
is scheduled for 1:00 PM.
Protest organizers indicate that there is evidence of accelerating
harassment of physicians who treat Lyme disease in ways that do not
conform to very stringent guidelines. A total of 17 doctors are now being
investigated on the East coast. Accusers in many cases are anonymous as
are the initial charges filed against the physicians.
Dr. Perry Orens of Great Neck, NY, had his license revoked on November
24.
Charges against him indicated that he "overdiagnosed", "overtreated" and
"overtested" for Lyme disease. Key to these charges is that Lyme is cured
in about 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment. Protestors strongly disagree and
demand recognition of open-minded approaches.
The Lyme community will publicly protest the OPMC's position on
identifying, harassing and severely sanctioning Lyme disease doctors. They
will call for the reinstatement of Dr. Orens' license and exposure of the
individuals responsible for this outrage.
The Lyme community contends that the academically spawned guidelines
used
for sanctioning doctors are obsolete, biologically unfounded and ethically
suspect.
Lyme disease, a tick-borne infection, is the second fastest growing
infectious disease in the US. With about 17,000 cases reported in 1998,
the actual figure may easily be 10 times that according to the CDC.
Although publicized chiefly in the Eastern U.S., this infection occurs on
a global scale.
"Investigation and sanctioning of physicians who deviate from
conservative
Lyme protocols is a bully tactic used to maintain predominance of a belief
system that cannot be sustained in the light of current research, clinical
experience and patient perspective."
CONTACT: Lisa Smiley, MT/CPT
Voices of Lyme (VOL)
shainajay12@aol.com
DenimLD@aol.com
Ritastan@worldnet.att.net
- Lisa Smiley , protest organizer
