Tag: representatives

I have to admit, I was never good at civics. My friend and I joke that everytime we discuss rules, laws, and bills we have to sing the SchoolHouse Rock! song “I’m just a bill” to remember how it happens. As comical as it is, I really wish I paid more attention in government class. I did spend some time in college writing postcards for a representative in Georgia for extra credit. And that is the extent of my government experience. However, this year, I have to thank the millions of constituents who became active and reached out to their representatives. I believe this movement of being active instead of passive in our government has helped the relationship and understanding as well as expectations of our elected officials. Hence, why I reached out to mine. I have to admit, Dr. Feldman also encouraged me to reach out to a few representatives in particular, to which I am grateful for his guidance.

I continue to reach out to Representative Steve Carter, Senator John Milkovich, and Representative Katrina Jackson….

Dear Representatives, 
I have yet to hear from any of you, so I will keep trying. My license remains suspended. I need help communicating with the LSBME. I am now being told I need to find my own physician to conduct a mental exam, but I need to know what the board wants tested in this exam. The board will not tell me, but rather wants the doctor I find to contact my compliance officer so that she can communicate what the board is looking for. It is almost impossible to cold call psychologists and ask if I can get a mental exam without knowing what I am needed to be screened for. Its like casting a net to catch a guppie. Can someone please help me? I have already been on suspension for over three years. I cannot work anywhere doing anything as my suspension appears in a background check. Please pressure the LSBME to curb their ridiculousness. They need oversight so that practitioners like me who are seeking to fulfill their sanctions can do so in a timely manner, but they are preventing me from doing so. 

Conveniently, the media group Gatehouse recently published a series of articles pertaining to out of hospital midwifery of which they complied a database of all midwives across the US. If we look at Louisiana’s active licensed midwives (and the five midwives who would still be practicing if their licenses were not acted upon) we will find shocking statistics—32% (8/25) have had their licenses acted upon in some capacity. This further underscores the restriction of trade and antitrust issues occurring there. Out of those 20 with active licenses, three have been acted upon by the LSBME for violations and are still practicing in some capacity, whether that is on probation or in a state of undocumented, involuntary suspension. These violations, which midwives carry on their record forever, stem from simple clerical errors to natural occurrences that no one can predict or prevent like stillbirth. Two midwives, including myself have their licenses suspended. One Naturopathic physician was also targeted by the LSBME and had her license to practice midwifery revoked. The data speak for itself: more midwives have inactive licenses in Louisiana than those actively working (26 with two of those licenses having been acted upon). This means that there are more midwives in Louisiana that have, for one reason or another, stopped practicing in Louisiana. Is this because Louisiana unfairly and unjustly monopolizes the practice of midwifery? We can imagine that these midwives who are not practicing anymore or have declined to renew their licenses were dissuaded to do so because of the unethical railroading that occurs there. We can assume they would still be working in the field of midwifery if this Board had oversight and any adherence to the spirit of the law. When 32% of the Louisiana midwives are targeted, no one can claim this field is not being restricted.