Legislative Information
- Senate Committee Calls for
Heads to Roll.
In a very
unusual step for the Legislature, the Senate Committee on Health Care
Strategies voted late last month to demand the firing of the Executive
Director and of the General Counsel of the Kansas State Board of
Healing Arts. The extreme action came under the direction of the
committee chairperson, Sen. Susan Wagle, after a series of hearings
focusing on some high-profile cases of alleged patient abuse and
deaths that the Committee did not think had been investigated quickly
enough by the Board staff. Although there was no direct criticism of
Board members, in hearings attended by KCA, the Committee certainly
fired off all its ammunition at the staff. Problems that were cited by
the Committee included slow investigations, unwillingness to cooperate
with federal investigators in shared cases, and lack of communications
with patients and families that had reported Kansas doctors. A
resolution calling for "such changes in personnel as necessary to
ensure that the Board effectively fulfills its statutory duties and to
restore public confidence in the Board’s operations …" passed the full
Senate and went on to be passed by the full House in nearly the same
form.
Before a meeting of the Board of Healing Arts could be called the next
week to deal with the resolution, which did not have the force of law,
both targeted staff members resigned their positions effective in June
and July. It appeared that the majority of Board members did not agree
with the Senate committee’s conclusions and were prepared to defend
their staff members, who had both worked for the Board since the
1980s.
The Senate committee hearings also came in response to the
introduction of H. B. 2620 this year, which would allow the Board of
Healing Arts to impose intermediate sanctions that would be
non-disciplinary, to establish a searchable database on doctors’
history on the Internet, and to allow the use of fingerprinting and
background checks on practitioners applying for license. The bill also
calls for a redefinition of various offenses concerning patient care
and standards of care. The KCA Legislative Committee will be reviewing
new amendments to the bill before the Legislature returns for wrap-up
April 30.
- Kansas.gov is
the State of Kansas internet site is the entry point into Kansas
government information on the internet, including lists of legislators
in your area and current status on all pending legislation.
- The KCA Legislative Chairman is Travis
Oller, D.C. Messages for him may be sent to the KCA
office.
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