Lyme Disease Support Group
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. It is now one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the U.S. Lyme disease is caused by infection with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, and is primarily transmitted to humans as well as dogs, horses and other domesticated animals by the bite of infected ticks.
Lyme Disease in Oregon
Oregon ranks as one of the worst states in the nation to get help for Lyme disease. Over one-fourth of the states population is enrolled in HMOs and standards of care seem to be determined by these entities, Kaiser in particular, and their financial influence on the states medical university, Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). The Oregon Board of Medical Examiners, which includes two members who are not even doctors or in any way involved in medicine, appears to be compliant to their wishes.
Oregon has the distinction of being the first state to investigate a competent and caring doctor for treating Lyme disease patients. One of the Lyme patients of this doctor was a Kaiser member who tried to get his prescription filled at a Kaiser pharmacy. Kaiser filed a complaint with the medical board and the doctor was forced to choose between giving up his Lyme patients or his medical license. As a result, because of potential medical board harassment, MDs in Oregon are reluctant to help Lyme patients.
http://www2.lymenet.org/domino/nl.nsf/b18db4ad8571a779852565e3007d9d16/996155967e71fb8f852565e30012f1c0?OpenDocument
Contrast this behavior by Kaiser and the medical board with that of Jayant Patel, a Kaiser surgeon who killed and damaged many patients. Patel had 79 medical complaints filed against him in Oregon and nothing was done. It was only after he was convicted in Australia in 2010 for manslaughter that the medical board issued a token reprimand.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/australia_convicts_us_doctor_f.html
Lyme disease information in Oregon is dictated by David Gilbert of Providence HMO. Dr. Gilbert is also an advisor to Kaiser and a professor at OHSU. He is a past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America whose Lyme disease guidelines were under investigation by the Connecticut Attorney General. He is also a known Lyme denier.
To avoid diagnosis, Kaiser takes the added precaution of shipping their Oregon and Washington Lyme blood samples to a Quest lab in Virginia. This virtually insures sample degradation and makes the sample worthless. According to East Coast Lyme doctors, this particular lab seems to have a reputation for not being able to find Lyme disease in their samples. According to a Kaiser lab nurse, Kaiser ships blood samples cross-country for any disease they dont want to diagnose.
It does not appear that this dismal status of Lyme disease (and other tick-borne infections) will be changing anytime soon. Oregon residents are advised to seek professional help outside of Oregon.
[A site not BY Kaiser but about Kaiser].
http://kaiserpapers.org/abt.html
Oregon ranks as one of the worst states in the nation to get help for Lyme disease. Over one-fourth of the states population is enrolled in HMOs and standards of care seem to be determined by these entities, Kaiser in particular, and their financial influence on the states medical university, Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). The Oregon Board of Medical Examiners, which includes two members who are not even doctors or in any way involved in medicine, appears to be compliant to their wishes.
Oregon has the distinction of being the first state to investigate a competent and caring doctor for treating Lyme disease patients. One of the Lyme patients of this doctor was a Kaiser member who tried to get his prescription filled at a Kaiser pharmacy. Kaiser filed a complaint with the medical board and the doctor was forced to choose between giving up his Lyme patients or his medical license. As a result, because of potential medical board harassment, MDs in Oregon are reluctant to help Lyme patients.
http://www2.lymenet.org/domino/nl.nsf/b18db4ad8571a779852565e3007d9d16/996155967e71fb8f852565e30012f1c0?OpenDocument
Contrast this behavior by Kaiser and the medical board with that of Jayant Patel, a Kaiser surgeon who killed and damaged many patients. Patel had 79 medical complaints filed against him in Oregon and nothing was done. It was only after he was convicted in Australia in 2010 for manslaughter that the medical board issued a token reprimand.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/australia_convicts_us_doctor_f.html
Lyme disease information in Oregon is dictated by David Gilbert of Providence HMO. Dr. Gilbert is also an advisor to Kaiser and a professor at OHSU. He is a past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America whose Lyme disease guidelines were under investigation by the Connecticut Attorney General. He is also a known Lyme denier.
To avoid diagnosis, Kaiser takes the added precaution of shipping their Oregon and Washington Lyme blood samples to a Quest lab in Virginia. This virtually insures sample degradation and makes the sample worthless. According to East Coast Lyme doctors, this particular lab seems to have a reputation for not being able to find Lyme disease in their samples. According to a Kaiser lab nurse, Kaiser ships blood samples cross-country for any disease they dont want to diagnose.
It does not appear that this dismal status of Lyme disease (and other tick-borne infections) will be changing anytime soon. Oregon residents are advised to seek professional help outside of Oregon.
[A site not BY Kaiser but about Kaiser].
http://kaiserpapers.org/abt.html
Seems like the fix is in. Better live near the WA, CA or ID borders if you want to get diagnosed and treated for Lyme.
Unreal.
CA has a good amount of llmds and some of them pretty darned good. But not until you get near the SF area.
Humboldt County, nearer to OR may have at least one good llmd.
ID--- dunno but I doubt if very many if any.
The problem with going to other states in the West----- There are counties there that have almost as many sq. miles as a NE state. LOL So traveling from state to state isn't as easy.