Saturday, August 20, 2005
Response to initial article in Charleston-Gazette
July 25, 2005
Readers' forum
Doctor treated unfairly in Texas
Editor:
I read your recent article about Dr. Chalifoux concerning his loss of license in Texas and awarding of a license in West Virginia.
The critical question is, who is right? How can two different boards come to such diametrical conclusions? The reason is actually quite simple.
I am a physician in Texas and this board has been quite overbearing and more interested in the number of prosecutions than the fairness of their investigations. There have been numerous legitimate complaints from doctors throughout the state.
In Dr. Chalifoux’s case, the Texas board in violation of their guidelines used the same two retired neurosurgeons to evaluate the cases in question in spite of repeated examples of prejudice, unprofessionalism and distortions.
The West Virginia board used the opinions of over 10 physicians to include three professors of neurosurgery. What occurred to Dr. Chalifoux in Texas is not much different than the example of an innocent man going to prison for overzealous prosecutorial abuse.
John Payne, D.O.
Colleyville, Texas
Readers' forum
Doctor treated unfairly in Texas
Editor:
I read your recent article about Dr. Chalifoux concerning his loss of license in Texas and awarding of a license in West Virginia.
The critical question is, who is right? How can two different boards come to such diametrical conclusions? The reason is actually quite simple.
I am a physician in Texas and this board has been quite overbearing and more interested in the number of prosecutions than the fairness of their investigations. There have been numerous legitimate complaints from doctors throughout the state.
In Dr. Chalifoux’s case, the Texas board in violation of their guidelines used the same two retired neurosurgeons to evaluate the cases in question in spite of repeated examples of prejudice, unprofessionalism and distortions.
The West Virginia board used the opinions of over 10 physicians to include three professors of neurosurgery. What occurred to Dr. Chalifoux in Texas is not much different than the example of an innocent man going to prison for overzealous prosecutorial abuse.
John Payne, D.O.
Colleyville, Texas
// posted by texas shammed @ 6:24 PM 
