Susan Bucher testimony to: Senator Figueroa, CA Sunset Review
December 04, 2001 - Public Testimony

There are many aspects to consumer health and safety in CA. The CMB plays are large role in the protection of patient safety as they 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 is occurring. The CMB 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 CMB can be compared to the fox being in the chickens' coup. 

The power given to the CMB and other states medical boards is not that of licensing new physicians, but allowing practicing physicians to retain their licenses. To quote Illinois Senator Chris Lauzen, "this has the makings of (a) licensing scandal".

I am a victim of surgical abuse of a CA Physician. I am here to ask the questions who oversees and regulates the CMB?

I under went surgery with Dr. Del Junco Jr. to obtain biopsy pathology information to present to the IL courts.

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. Dr. 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.

Dr. Del Junco told me after my surgery, with witnesses present, that I should never tell anyone about having surgery with him. When he saw my shock he stated that I could say that I had surgery with him, but that I should distroy the photographic evidence, that I should NEVER show the photos to anyone, and that he was NOT going to make any reference in his records that photos or tapes existed.

Dr. Hufnagel had spoken with Dr. Del Junco before and after my surgery. After my surgery Del Junco confided to Hufnagel after my surgery 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 withheld my medical records from me. I was required to hire a private detective to retrieve them. After obtaining my records I learned that Del Junco did not do what he had consented me for at the time of the surgery (the biopsy). 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.

Crimes that were committed in my case include cover-up, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and acts of surgical battery (unnecessarily surgery) to accomplish these crimes.

Whom do you go to when crimes such as these are committed? The police refused to take my report. They told me to go the CMB. One week after I sued upon Del Junco, Hufnagel's personal office was burnt to the ground. The fire was ruled as arson.

I called the Consumer affairs, Mayor Reardin (Riodran), attorney general, and other agencies. 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. The Consumer affairs and AT told me to work with 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 had was does the CMB forward cases to the States At when it's suggested or shown that felony crimes have occurred. I was told that everything is done on a case by case basis.

The CMB works secretly behind closed doors.

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, or who saw them.

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.

The CMB has complete authority to decide, and they do not have to report to no one. It is a question of who polices the police? Whom does the CMB report to, or 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 is on the CMB Review board: Are they even doctors? Do they have protocol or guidelines to follow? Who handles the investigations? Are they licensed investigators of the state? The 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 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.

I ask this panel to open a full investigation in these events. I ask for prosecution and restitution as Del Junco and the CMB have committed actions to cause my family finical harm, emotional, physical harm, and me.

When a regulatory board acts to protects their own, and refuses 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. In this, they have crossed the line.

When they go as far to physically retaliate against those who blow the whistle on them and the doctors they closely protect, such as Dr. Hufnagel did in my case, they become a medical taliban raiding homes.

The CMB has not had to report or explain their actions of cover-up or corruption to anyone as of yet.