MSDC Responds to “Disciplining Doctors” Editorial

K. Edward Shanbacker, MPA, the Medical Society's executive vice president, sent the following letter to The Washington Post in response to the paper's April 14 editorial, "Disciplining Doctors":

The Washington Post editorial is entirely correct when it says that state medical boards are grossly underfunded. Cheryl Thompson's three-part series indicates that there are two investigators for 45,000 licensees (9,000 of whom are physicians). What town or city of 45,000 residents would have only two firefighters or two police officers to ensure public safety? The answer, of course, is none would.

State boards of medicine do not have the resources they need, but not because of lack of physician support. For two decades, the Medical Society of DC has advocated for greater funding of the DC Board of Medicine. In fact, we've argued for a self-funded board paid for by physician license fees. Physicians have nothing to fear from a stronger and better funded Board. They have everything to gain from a board that can identify and remove from practice any physician who poses a threat to his or her patients. While one "bad doctor" is one too many, and while it is likely that no system of oversight and discipline will be perfect, we know that additional funding and resources will improve the system.

Throughout this whole discussion, it is critically important to remember that 99.9% of physicians practice world-class medicine. Patients are done a disservice by any reporting that neglects this fact and only serves to undermine confidence in the physician-patient relationship.

Lastly, it is important to note that Mayor Williams introduced legislation last year that would have created a whole new system for reducing preventable adverse medical events and enhancing patient safety, yet the Council failed to even hold hearings. The Mayor is prepared to reintroduce the legislation in the coming weeks-let's hope that a new Council will adopt a new approach.