Aug. 24, 2005 -- Dr. Terry Bennett believes in being honest with his patients, but one woman was so offended about the way he spoke to her about her weight, she filed a complaint with the state Board of Medicine.
The New Hampshire state attorney general launched an investigation, asked Bennett to take a medical education course and admit he has made a mistake.
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BTW – As long as I can recall, NH’s license plates say Live Free or Die.
KC135R From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 699 posts, RR: 5 Reply 1, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 1264 times:
To borrow a quote from an old co-worker:
Sometimes you gotta call an ugly baby ugly!
What he said might not have been nice, but it was apparently true and if his intention was to help her - I don't see the problem. I sure as hell don't see why the legal system should be involved - if the lady didn't like what he said, she could have just never gone back to him. Once again proof that the legal system is "sue-happy", when will these frivolous lawsuits end?
Psa53 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3004 posts, RR: 4 Reply 3, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1225 times:
In retail,we also have to be potilcally correct
and watch what we say.But in this case,there
are serious health problems with obesity.
The doctor did his job.The doctor should sue the hell out
of the Board.
Sometimes I wonder if we are not turning into a dictatorship of
what you can and cannot say.
Lady is a whiner for being told the truth.And I'm sure the
doctor use the same exact words on hundreds of other
patients.Sometimes your a hero.Sometimes your a bum.
ANCFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1201 times:
Another over sensitive piss ant that can't handle the truth . . .
Another frivilous law suit that should have been thrown out of court . . .
Look lady, if you're a heffer, put down the damn twinkies and do something about it . . . don't blame someone else for telling you the truth - especially if you ASKED for it . . . .
Mdsh00 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 4097 posts, RR: 9 Reply 5, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1192 times:
What a bitch. As a medical professional, sometimes you have to be honest with your patients. Even if it is being brutally honest. I bet if this doctor didn't say anything about her weight and she later on became unhealthy, she'd have sued him for not telling her she needs to lose weight.
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a big fat white guy who is threatened by change."
Bezoar From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 805 posts, RR: 9 Reply 6, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1178 times:
I've angered more than one patient by telling them what they didn't want to hear. I hope the board backs off and apologizes to this guy.
Sometimes it is impossible to be perfectly tactful, but yet firm. Most folks already know they are overweight, but many just want to give them more pain pills for their knees, more antidepressants because of their poor self-image, more Prevacid for their reflux, and something for constipation.
The future of medicine in this country is dependent on people taking responsibility for their own health. One of the responsibilities of physicians is to empower them to do this. It is becomes impossible if we ourselves are handcuffed.
"There are none so blind as those who will not see."
CaptOveur From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1134 times:
Was she shocked to find out she was fat or something?
Most chubby people I know are aware of their weight, being told the obvious by a doctor who is probably telling you to take care of it now, or face consequences later, is anything but cause for filing a complaint.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18904 posts, RR: 64 Reply 10, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 1120 times:
What's left out of the link to that story (but said by Dr. Bennett in a few interviews lately on TV), is the woman in question was in such denial about her weight, she even refused to step on the scale in her visits to see him, so he doesn't even have her weight recorded in her chart.
For a variety of reasons, I rarely defend doctors, but in this case, he had a responsibility to say something to his patient about her condition. If she wants to continue to be in denial, she's welcome not to go to the doctor at all.
Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 4): Another frivilous law suit that should have been thrown out of court . . .
There is no lawsuit. The patient complained to the state medical board who found him at fault and forwarded the complaint to the state attorney general.
Andz From South Africa, joined Feb 2004, 8298 posts, RR: 11 Reply 11, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1112 times:
The bedside manner can sometimes leave a lot to be desired but the doctor is right in pointing out patients' conditions that can lead to medical problems. I remember being in theatre recovery one day and a surgeon and anaesthesist were giving a female patient a lecture about her weight in no uncertain terms. Apparently there had been some minor complications during the procedure that the doctors felt were attributed to her weight.
After Monday and Tuesday even the calendar says WTF...
CaptOveur From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1095 times:
The doctor was probably covering his own ass by telling her this if she was in such denial.
If she had to have a leg cut off because of diabetes or something later in life because she did nothing to control her weight she would certainly blame the doctors for NOT telling her she was fat.
Psa53 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3004 posts, RR: 4 Reply 14, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1090 times:
Quoting SATX (Reply 8): Well, based on this thread, we know that you can't say your doctor was rude to you. Is that what you mean?
Yes.I was putting myself in the doctors shoes,knowing that he cared for
for his patient,who has to be verbally direct, as a doctor,to have
his patient come to terms of the problem.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18904 posts, RR: 64 Reply 15, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1088 times:
Now, back to the rest of the story ... What KC135R said, and you seconded was:
Quoting KC135R (Reply 1): Once again proof that the legal system is "sue-happy", when will these frivolous lawsuits end?
There was no lawsuit. The state attorney general recommended what's known in medical parlance is the doctor be "rehabilitated" by taking a course. That's apparently how the chain of command works in the medical profession in NH when there's a complaint made to the state medical board.
Now please tell us, how is that an indication of a "sue-happy" legal system or a lawsuit?
I sit corrected. Agreed. Regardless, a bullshit snivel if I ever heard one. And the State siding with her . . . another example of the ultra-PC environment in which we live taking control.
So - I post the question Westy - when she dies because she's as big as a house, and then her FAMILY sues because "no one told her to lose weight", where do we go from there? Hypothetical, sure. Practical, absolutely.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18904 posts, RR: 64 Reply 17, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1071 times:
Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 16): So - I post the question Westy - when she dies because she's as big as a house, and then her FAMILY sues because "no one told her to lose weight", where do we go from there? Hypothetical, sure. Practical, absolutely.
Already answered, I believe.
Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 10): For a variety of reasons, I rarely defend doctors, but in this case, he had a responsibility to say something to his patient about her condition. If she wants to continue to be in denial, she's welcome not to go to the doctor at all.
IF a lawsuit were to be filed, the courts/jury will look at what the patient did to mitigate the damages. That the woman in question refused to get on the doctor's scale would be indicative that she was in self-denial of her weight condition, and there would be little in the way of damages that could be claimed from the doctor if he did the responsible thing and point out the potential for early death and other complications, which he did.
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18904 posts, RR: 64 Reply 19, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1058 times:
Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 18): So, we're back to the frivolity of it all .
Correct. There is in fact a recall drive beginning (I forget the details, it was mentioned during one of Dr. Bennett's TV interviews) against the state AG for having sided with the medical board.
I've received an "I accept your decision to go against medical advice" letter from my doctor when I refused to take the full dose of thyroid he and others recommended, because it caused other problems that, in my estimation, were less worse to live with than living with "the cure". I accept responsibility for my actions, the doctor covered his backside, end of story.
What the state medical board and state AG did in NH was reprehensible, not what the doctor did, in this case.
ANCFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 1044 times:
Quoting AeroWesty (Reply 19): What the state medical board and state AG did in NH was reprehensible, not what the doctor did, in this case.
Concur . . .
Sorry, by the by, the hear about your issues with your Doctor. But you know, with current malpractice suits and insurance costs, you simply can't blame him/her. I hope it worked to your advantage . . . .
When you routinely throw canned replies like an automated script that can't think for itself, and then get called on it for looking like a blind numbskull with a pre-written agenda, what do you do? Well, if you're just another arrogant old crank with too much time on their hands, you pretend to speak for the whole forum and attack the messenger.
Oh, and then you wait for some bum-kisser to show up and stroke your massive ego.
Open Season on Consumer Protections is Just Around the Corner...
ANCFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 1037 times:
I took my medicine, sat corrected, what else you want.
Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 16): I sit corrected. Agreed. Regardless, a bullshit snivel if I ever heard one. And the State siding with her . . . another example of the ultra-PC environment in which we live taking control.
Long hot showers are out of the question.
Quoting SATX (Reply 21): Oh, and then you wait for some bum-kisser to show up and stroke your massive ego.
Aerowesty and I rarely see Eye to Eye, so I wouldn't exactly refer to is as Bum-kissing . . .
More like a mutual respect for opposing opinions that are discussed and left in a mutually agreed upon state of rest . . . .
AeroWesty From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 18904 posts, RR: 64 Reply 23, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 1031 times:
Quoting SATX (Reply 21): Oh, and then you wait for some bum-kisser to show up and stroke your massive ego.
As hilarious as I think ANC gets when he's gun slingin', I've never been so meek as not say out loud to him what I think if I disagree with him, or been unable to have a civil conversation on a mutual topic of interest to us both.
Bezoar From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 805 posts, RR: 9 Reply 24, posted (7 years 9 months 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 1007 times:
Quoting ArmitageShanks (Reply 9): Just a curious question, Bezoar, but why in the hell did you choose that to be your username!
Several years ago my partner and I used that screen name playing interactive trivia at the local Damon's. (We often kicked butt!)
Most folks don't know that a bezoar is an undigested mass in the stomach, like a hairball, but I've held onto it as a way to maintain a sense of humility. It is the opposite approach from picking a name like 'Wellhung.'
Admittedly, 'bezoar' has no connection to aviation, but perhaps fuel tanks can get an equivalent mass.
"There are none so blind as those who will not see."
25 KC135R: I stand corrected - there was no lawsuit - but that's word semantics to me, she still used official channels to up-channel a complaint that is frivolo
26 SATX: I think what you're trying to say is that the actual truth is irrelevant to you. No problem. I already assumed this to be the case. Just go back to b
27 CMHSRQ: It's probably this woman. http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/pregnant.asp
28 Garnetpalmetto: Sorry John, but you're wrong on this one too. The "old bimbo," Stella Liebeck, was not driving when she spilled McDonald's coffee on her lap. She was
29 Bezoar: There is a new twist to this story, one which includes racism: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9135728/
30 SlamClick: As a matter of fact, yes they can. Or at least, they used to. In the early days of the jet age, colloid fungus would grow happily in water entrained
31 CaptOveur: Sounds like the doctor is off to sensitivity training. Now that the rest of the story comes out, he deserves the sensitivity training.
32 Daedaeg: I bet she'll think twice before chowing down that hogey. The doctor probably saved her life.
33 FlyingTexan: Thank you for this update, Beozar. Interesting twist. At minimum. He needs more than just sensitivity training.
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