Susan J Bucher 1629 S. Hamilton, Suite 200, Lockport, IL 60441 815 834-0987 Fax 815-328-0445 1-1-2002 To: Liz Figueroa From: There are many aspects to consumer health and safety in CA. The CMB plays a large role in the protection of patient safety of those who live in CA or seek medical attention in CA as the CMB license doctors, investigate when a compliant is made, and they have the authority to discipline doctors to the point of revoking medical licensees. The CMB is a regulatory agency, a type of "medical police". Along with power comes corruption. Corruption within CMB and other medical boards is occurring. Medical boards often protects those who should be disciplined and prosecuted, and prosecute those who should be protected. It is a matter of the good old boys, who has connections, who has money, and who has the power. The power given to medical licensing boards is not that of licensing new physicians, but allowing practicing physicians to retain their licenses and to forgo proper investigation and disciplinary action(s). Medical boards act as their own judge, jury, and lawyer in kangaroo court fashion. The situation is compounded because political and professional nepotism is involved. Everything that occurs within the board does so behind closed doors, and the board does not have to reply or answer to anyone. Corruption occurs when instead of acting as an agency to protect the public, they "turn a blind eye". Corruption occurs when employees and officials withhold essential information from their own review boards and from state attorneys. Corruption occurs when doctors and officials create false documents and tell lies to protect themselves, other doctors, and the organizations they belonging to. Corruption occurs when medical boards act as their own police, raid private citizens homes, and act in such a manner as a medical taliban. Corruption occurs when nepotism and power conspires to slander and silence whistle blowers. To quote Senator Chris Lauzen regarding these matters, "this has the makings of (a) licensing scandal". I understand that CA now has a new board, but the corruption that has been occurring has been institutionalized within their system and will continue unless more changes are made. In addition, the past criminal activities and the crimes that occurred within the old board must still be addressed and dealt with. Medical malpractice and medical errors are usually thought of when talking about doctors and medical boards,… events of the following nature are generally not exposed. The news media notice events of , "Wrong leg gets cut off", not, "cover-up exposed of conspiracy within the medical community". What happened to me is just one example of how crimes of conspiracy, cover-up, and obstruction of justice occurs within the medical community by doctors, medical boards, and medical organizations. On July 21, 1998, I under went surgery with Dr. Del Junco Jr. In CA to obtain biopsy pathology information from each of my ovaries to present to the IL court in support of my actions against Dr. Paul Rosenberg. Earlier that year I sued Dr. Rosenberg not properly informing me of the risks of tubal ligation, for causing my castrated menopausal condition at the time of my 8-24-95 tubal ligation, and for creating a condition in me that requires that I take medication (Hormone Replacement therapy HRT) for the rest of my life in order to function normally. At the time of my tubal ligation I was 34 years old, and at the time of my surgery with Dr. Del Junco I was 37 years old. Before my surgery Dr. Hufnagel and I spoke with Dr. Del Junco. He agreed to perform the surgery and to biopsy each ovary. The biopsy of each ovary, and the resulting pathology report would be scientific evidence and proof of the cause and nature of my injuries. This would be something that the lawyers and expert witness doctors would not be able to argue or dispute in court. After the surgery, I asked Del Junco for the pathology information. He stated that the labs had not been forwarded to him yet and that he would forward this information on to me as soon as he received it. He told me that my ovaries were not atrophic because atrophic ovaries were black and mine were white. When I questioned him regarding this statement, telling him that it was my understanding that atrophic tissue and atrophic ovaries were white he became enraged, started waving his arms and yelling at me, and told me that I was wrong and that I shouldn’t read so much. His yelling and mannerism frighten me that he was going to hit me. When I was leaving his office, with witnesses present, (see attached statement of truth) he stated to me that I should never tell anyone about having surgery with him. When he saw my shock he then stated that I could say that I had surgery with him, but that I should not say why. He told me that he was NOT going to give me a copy of the videotape although we had discussed this. He did give me two photos and told me that I should never show them to anyone. He stated clearly with wittiness present that I should, "look at them and then destroy them", and "NEVER show them to anyone". He stated that he was NOT going to make any reference in his (my) medical records that photos or tapes existed. (See attached photos). Del Junco did not forward to me my medical records despite numerous requests for them. He withheld my medical records from me and I was required to hire a private detective to retrieve them. (see statement of truth) After obtaining my records, I learned that Del Junco did not do the biopsy that we had discussed and that he had promised to do. In fact, he did nothing at all at the time of the surgery. In addition, he did a procedure upon me that was not discussed prior and not required. The additional procedure he did violated me I consider to be that of rape and battery. Dr. Hufnagel reviewed and found that his medical report was false, and in complete contrast to what the visual documentation showed, and in complete contrast to my previously diagnosed condition. At the time of my surgery, I was not aware that Del Junco's brother was the president of the CMB or that his father was the head of the state Rep Party. Del Junco misrepresented to me that he was an OBGYN, an expert in women's health care, and that he was directly working with Dr. Vikki Hufnagel, MD., who was my expert witness. His web site stated that he was a member of the AMA. (He is not) After my surgery Del Junco told Hufnagel that he had "spoken to the authorities" as well as with my previous physician. He threatened Dr. Hufnagel with harm if she ever spoke to me again. He told her that she should not disclose to me the cause of my condition, or the status of my organs that had been affected. Del Junco, with intent, created a false medical report in order to negatively impact my pending IL case and to obstruct justice. This was done to protect not only the doctor which caused my condition, but to also protect the ACOG and the National Security Study Memorandum (NSSM) 200 for not disclosing known information they have regarding the risk of hormonal imbalance after tubal ligation to women and the public. Think of this as how the cigarette corporations hid information they had showing smoking caused cancer. My case, and the information I was to provide to the court was in a sense opening Pandora’s box. Crimes that were committed in my case include conspiracy, cover-up, obstruction of justice, acts of surgical battery (unnecessarily surgery), creation of false documents. Because Del Junco didn’t do what he had promised to do at the time of the surgery, (the biopsy), I consider the surgery to be that of battery, and battery done to obstruct justice and to cause financial, physical , and mental harm to me. Whom do you go to when crimes such as these are committed? Do you go to the police? The police refused to take my report. When police hear the word "doctor", they direct you to get a medical malpractice lawyer, or to go the medical board. The problem is, these crimes are much more then medical malpractice or medical error. I called the CA Consumer Affairs, Mayor Riodran, and the attorney general. Mayor Riodran's office told me that someone would call me back to help me. I kept calling for 3 months but never got a response. Do you go to the States Attorney? The States Attorney(s) told me to go to the medical board. The problem is, the medical board acts and conspires to protect the doctors involved. The medical boards actions of not doing proper investigations, and not forwarding the information of the criminal activity that took place created for the medical boards their own "Case Closed Sandals". This has occurred not just to me, but to many victims when they have approached the medical board with complaints and concerns about doctors. The boards actions of not properly investigating when investigation is due, and their actions of not forwarding cases for investigation on to the proper authorities such as to the states attorneys themselves, the FBI, etc… means that they have acted in such a manner to hide that criminal activity has taken place. This is done with intent to protect the doctors involved and causes the medical boards themselves to become party to and part of the conspiracy and cover-up. On July 21, 1999 I filed suit on Dr. Del Junco. One week later Dr. Hufnagel's personal office was burnt to the ground. The fire was ruled as arson. Del Junco felt so protected that he didn't even notify his insurance company as he was required to. So where to you turn for help? Back to the states attorney? Your then told that they can not help you because the States attorney can not prosecute other state agencies. I was told again to go back with my compliant to the medical board. I contacted: Mr. Gene Glenn of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). He referred me back to the CMB, with forms included. The CA Consumer Affairs again directed me also back to the CMB. I was apprehensive of working with the CMB because of Del Junco's brother having been president. I contacted the CMB and spoke/communicated with Susan Cady. She assured me that there would be a fair review. One question I asked Ms. Cady was did the CMB forward cases to the states attorney if it is evident and shown that conspiracy and cover-up occurred. I had concerns about this because of what happened with the DPR, and their actions of cover-up and closing my case without collecting key records. Ms. Cady told me that everything is done on a case by case basis. She ensured me that the CMB would do a fair review, which they had to because the CA Consumer Affairs monitor them. I requested that the National Patient Safety Foundation, part of the AMA, be included in their investigation. They were not. I requested to be interviewed. I was never contacted for interview, nor were any of my witnesses. I have no idea what records were collected, if they were collected in full, who saw them, what was presented for medical review, etc. No one is allowed, including the victim, to know what is said by who, what records are being collected or shown to whom, and who the people are that make the final decisions. It is my understanding that it is common practice for doctors to slander and tell lies about the patient during their interviews with the boards. How are victims to defend themselves if a doctor slanders them, which of course they do. How is a victim ensured that a fair review is being done, or that justice is done when they are completely left out of the investigation? The CMB and other medical boards have complete authority to decide what is done and they do not have to report to no one. Their word is final. It is a question of who polices the police? Whom does the CMB report to? Whom must they answer to if they make incorrect decisions, take wrong actions, or commit wrong actions themselves? Who investigates the CMB when they themselves are involved in cover-up? I question who makes the final decisions as to who is investigated. Are they even doctors? Their "expert" witness's are protected behind a veil of secrecy. Do they have protocol or guidelines to follow? Who handles the investigations? Are they licensed investigators of the state? What are backgrounds of these doctors? How many times have they been sued or sited by the CMB? In August of this year I received a bizarre letter from the CMB explaining their "official?" view of the cause of my condition, and stating my complaint against Del Junco has been closed (no disciplinary action taken). A short time later Dr. Hufnagel's home was raided by the CMB. Who makes these decisions? The IL DPR also closed my case. Mr. Coglan presented me with the medical documents that were collected. There was no photo's. Dr. Rosenberg and Del Junco both withheld information from the DPR. The copies which I hand delivered to Mr. Sherman, the DPR's director were never forwarded. IL FAIR has further documentation of records being withheld from officials (the states attorneys) by the DPR. I dismissed my suit against Dr. Rosenberg without prejudice. I was told repeatedly by IL Lawyers that "Doctors always win in DuPage County". I believe the IL judge understood that I had a 2nd surgery and more issues arose from that. I did re-file in IL a year later naming more in the suit. I dismissed my case against Del Junco, against my will. After Del Junco's deposition, the lawyer all of a sudden decided he no longer wanted to represent me. A conflict of interest? The issue is money, which I have non-of. Lawyers do not want to go up against doctors being backed by the ACOG, by the CMB, and others. Lawyers also view women's cases as low on the totem pole. In retrospect, although these matters for me began as malpractice and personal injury, they have evolved and now need to be investigated and exposed at a higher level. The crimes that have occurred far extend outside the scope of what was occurring or that would have been addressed within my civil cases. I have witnessed Dr. Hufnagel being slandered and attacked on the Internet and in person. I uncovered that an Abelson-Taylor, a public relations firm (who handles crisis management issues), assigned Barbara Martin to collect data on Dr. Hufnagel and to track her activities. Ableson-Taylor holds as their client's medical organizations such as the ACOG and the RSNA, and the SCVIR. This I discovered as Martin was involved at the Quackwatch group. I have witnessed Hufnagel being slandered by Carla Dionne, (who has ties to the SCVIR) telling people that the FBI is after Dr. Hufnagel. She has gone as far as posting Dr. Hufnagel's lawsuits at her site, and creating a picture of Dr. Hufnagel as being an evil, wicked person. Carla also states that the CMB told her to "run" from Dr. Hufnagel. I witnessed Dr. Hufnagel being slandered to NBC Bob Ray and NBC executives by Barbara Martin and Ableson-Taylor. She was slandered to me by numerous lawyers in the ChicagoLand area, stating that she is " not creditable" because she lost her license. Thing is, she was and still is a licensed physician in the US. Martian, Dionne, the CMB, and others have publicly conspired to get her license revoked in HI, and to block the reinstatement of her license in CA. I have witnessed the CMB sanction Dr. Hufnagel $500, and demand that she remove the title of "MD" from her web site. This shows the true colors of the CMB Taliban. A bunch of guys sitting around making the decision that Dr. Hufnagel can no longer be a MD. MD is a title given upon graduation and cannot be revoked. She earned the title MD. It is as if the CMB made the decision that she did not go to medical school, and did not graduate. Her personal office was burnt to the ground. Her home has been broken into numerous times with her office being directly targeted. I have witnessed Dr. Hufnagel blowing the whistle and being attacked for doing so. The CMB and the IL DPR has not had to report or explain their actions of cover-up or corruption (of my case) to anyone as of yet. I do not believe that the CA Consumers Affairs are equipped to handle this magnitude of investigation. I ask this panel to open a full federal investigation in these events. I ask for prosecution and restitution as Del Junco and the CMB and others have committed actions to cause me and my family financial, emotional, and physical harm. The CMB, IL DPR, and ACOG have acted to protect their own. The CMB and IL DPR refuse to properly investigate, refuse to discipline those who require being disciplined, and refuses to forward cases to the States attorney which merit doing so in order to cover up and protect. They act in a manner of selective enforcement. They are not to choose whom they are to go after. They are not to retaliate against those who blow the whistle on them and the doctors they closely protect. In this, they have crossed the line. I am enclosing supporting documents here for your review, with more to follow. I pray your help and protection.
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