More absurd secrecy?
First, I admit I only heard about this through an email blast this weekend from L. Janel Martin. The details are sketchy but all too hauntingly familiar for me to ignore. Dr. Robert Biter from the Carlsbad, CA area has apparently lost his admitting privileges at Scripps Encinitas Hospital:
As of 5 pm Friday, May7th, Dr. Biter's privileges to deliver babies at Scripps Encinitas Hospital have been suspended. He will still be able to see his current patients postpartum (after they deliver) in the hospital. He is hoping that this will be resolved quickly & is working hard to ensure that there is a backup plan for his patients that are due to have their babies soon.
Here's what I know: There have been no obstetrical malpractice issues against him---ever. The hospital, specifically some OBs, have been attacking him for the last 3 years for protecting women's rights for natural birth. I believe it''s all out of greed for money--less interventions means less money for the hospital. Other doctors were losing their patients to Dr. Biter because they wanted a doctor who would support them & that trusted birth as being a woman's birthright rather than a medical procedure.
An effort to support him is being organized by Carol Yeh-Garner at:
Carol Yeh-Garner
3192 Corte Tradicion
Carlsbad, CA 92009
awelllivedlife@hotmail.com.
My own experiences suggest that the rules of peer review and the convenient veil of confidentiality will prevent us from knowing the real reasons for the hospital committee's actions. However, I do suspect that Carol's suspicions are likely correct. What we can do, if Dr. Biter so desires, is contact and barrage the hospital administration with calls and letters asking them for explanations. The one thing that hospitals hate most is negative publicity in the media and having a light shone on their internal policies and politics. If you have any information, please comment here on my blog to educate the rest of us. Also, for those who care to write here is an address:
Write a letter to the CEO of Scripps Encinitas:
Chris Van Gorder--President & CEO of Scripps
4275 Campus Point Court
San Diego, CA 92121
I have heard that Dr. Biter is planning to open a free standing maternity center supportive of the midwifery birthing model. The timing of this latest absurdity against him cannot just be a coincidence. I am hopeful that we will know more soon. Although, he may be restricted from discussing this openly by the rules of the hospital set up to always favor the hospital. Through my own experience I find such secrecy, when not directly involving patient confidentiality, to always be suspicious of nefarious reasoning. Dr. F
As of 5 pm Friday, May7th, Dr. Biter's privileges to deliver babies at Scripps Encinitas Hospital have been suspended. He will still be able to see his current patients postpartum (after they deliver) in the hospital. He is hoping that this will be resolved quickly & is working hard to ensure that there is a backup plan for his patients that are due to have their babies soon.
Here's what I know: There have been no obstetrical malpractice issues against him---ever. The hospital, specifically some OBs, have been attacking him for the last 3 years for protecting women's rights for natural birth. I believe it''s all out of greed for money--less interventions means less money for the hospital. Other doctors were losing their patients to Dr. Biter because they wanted a doctor who would support them & that trusted birth as being a woman's birthright rather than a medical procedure.
An effort to support him is being organized by Carol Yeh-Garner at:
Carol Yeh-Garner
3192 Corte Tradicion
Carlsbad, CA 92009
awelllivedlife@hotmail.com.
My own experiences suggest that the rules of peer review and the convenient veil of confidentiality will prevent us from knowing the real reasons for the hospital committee's actions. However, I do suspect that Carol's suspicions are likely correct. What we can do, if Dr. Biter so desires, is contact and barrage the hospital administration with calls and letters asking them for explanations. The one thing that hospitals hate most is negative publicity in the media and having a light shone on their internal policies and politics. If you have any information, please comment here on my blog to educate the rest of us. Also, for those who care to write here is an address:
Write a letter to the CEO of Scripps Encinitas:
Chris Van Gorder--President & CEO of Scripps
4275 Campus Point Court
San Diego, CA 92121
I have heard that Dr. Biter is planning to open a free standing maternity center supportive of the midwifery birthing model. The timing of this latest absurdity against him cannot just be a coincidence. I am hopeful that we will know more soon. Although, he may be restricted from discussing this openly by the rules of the hospital set up to always favor the hospital. Through my own experience I find such secrecy, when not directly involving patient confidentiality, to always be suspicious of nefarious reasoning. Dr. F