Track down the DeLay/NRCC 'Physicians of the Year'

ABC News reports today on a fundraising scam by the NRCC. Apparently they sent out 'Physician of the Year' awards to doctors around the country -- awards with a twist:

...to receive the award in person at a special two-day workshop in Washington last month, [Dr. Rudolph] Mueller found out that he would have to make a $1,250 contribution to the National Republican Congressional Committee. It was a disturbing discovery, he said.

The article goes on to mention that they have found doctors putting these awards on lists of their credentials, potentially misleading patients. This, to me, blurs the line between manipulative fundraising and outright fraud.

I thought it would be useful, entertaining, and maybe illuminating to try to locate some of these doctors who are misrepresenting themselves as having won a genuine merit award, rather than having bought a meaningless certificate with a political donation.

So take a look below the fold for what I've found so far, and please, post any examples you find that I've missed.

First up is Dr. Abbas Qutab, a chiropractor who founded the Elan Vital Spa in Worcester, Mass. He promotes himself thusly:

In 2003 he received the "Physician of the Year" award for his active role in the NRCC of the National Health Care and Medicare Reforms Committee.

It's a bit hard to believe that a yoga teacher and ayurvedic doctor could be a Republican, but it takes all sorts, I suppose. In any case, he takes the dishonesty one step farther by saying he received -the- award, rather than one of hundreds.

Next up is Dr. Gerard Isenberg, a gastroenterologist at Case Western Reserve University. Heading up the 'Honors and Awards' sections on his CV:

· 2002 Physician of the Year Award, US Congress
· Chairman, NRCC Physicians' Advisory Board, Congressman Tom DeLay, 2002-3

Interesting that the Bugman's name should turn up. I also wonder about whether CWRU might not have some ethical objection to this sort of misrepresentation. But moving on...

Dr. John Fullerton of Fairfax, CA, a geriatrician, made news last year when he sued the Florida Medical Association for criticizing his testimony in a medical malpractice case. Dr. Fullerton (Imisre)presents his bonafides thusly:

Dr. Fullerton...this year received a California Physician of the Year award from Congress...

Note, also, that the FMA was investigating him for possibly providing false information to win a medical malpractice trial. Not exactly the kind of doctor who the Republican Party typically holds in high honor, am I right?

Moving on, we come to Dr. Chris Philippart of North Carolina, an oncologist whose award merited an item in the North Carolina Medical Society's newsletter:

Dr. Chris Philippart of Crystal Coast Radiation Oncology, P.A. was awarded the Physician of the Year Award for the State of North Carolina by the United States Congress on January 27, 2004, in Washington, D.C. Congressman Tom Reynolds presented the award. ... He also serves as a member of both the U.S. Congress House Majority Trust and Congressional Majority Trust, where in 2003 he received the 2003 National Leadership Award from Congressman Tom Delay.

There's that name again. Note that his 2003 Leadership Award lines up neatly with a series of NRCC donations in 2003 as well. And note that again, his award is misrepresented as being from the Congress instead of the Republican Party.

More and more. Dr. Randal A. Otto, an otolaryngologist at the University of Texas, is another lucky winner (lucky because he apparently only had to donate $500 to win). His CV lists this award as well:

2003 - 2003 Physician of the Year, The National Republican Congressional Committee's Physicians' Advisory Board

This CV is littered with other scam awards such as Who's Who, as well. Too bad for any medical students at the University of Texas, I suppose.

Dr. Guido Ring, a Georgia nephrologist, merited a full article in his local paper for his 'top honor
':

CORDELE -- Dr. Guido H. Ring, a local nephrologist and internist, has been awarded the prestigious National Republican Congressional Committee's (NRCC) Physician of the Year 2004 Award for Georgia.

The article, naturally, makes no mention of the financial aspect of Dr. Ring's award. It again implies that he won the only award, or the only award for Georgia, neither of which is apparently the case.

Dr. Rajinder Singh Puri of Lakeland, Florida may be the first man to get an article in the paper merely for receiving a fundraising letter:

The committee's board recognized him as a pioneer of health-care reform, named him a 2004 physician of the year and invited him to inauguration festivities for President Bush.

"I'm not even a Republican," the Lakeland family doctor said.

I can't find a donation on record for this guy, but I can't find any mentions of him anywhere else either, so the paper may have spelled his name wrong.

Following the links from this guy, though, we find Dr. Ajit Shah. According to this newsletter,

Dr. Ajit Shah was recognized as the "Physician of the Year". Dr. Shah, Past-President of AIPNO, had taken a medical mission of AIPNO to the earthquake-torn Kutch, India, in January 2002.

A worthy endeavor, no doubt, but not the reason for his award so much as the $500 donation in his name.

And on we go. Dr. Stephen Ronan, a plastic surgeon from Danville, CA, touts his credentials thusly:

2003 Physician of the Year
Congressional Physician Advisory Board

US Congressioanal Order of Merit
September 8, 2003

Congressional Order of Merit? That's a new one. Perhaps ABC News had better look into that next.

Anyway, this is enough for me tonight so I'm turning over the keys to you guys. If you find anything too juicy, I'll post it in an update.

Update [2005-4-7 9:31:2 by neil]:gorlim, in comments found Dr. Gail Whitman-Elia, a gynecologist from South Carolina, also turned her donation to the Republicans into an advertisement in the local paper. This article is relatively honest, except of course that it doesn't mention the glaring quid pro quo. That's our liberal media, though, isn't it? And it's a great way for the Republicans to reward party loyalty.

I want to mention that I don't think anybody should make any attempts to contact these doctors' patients or their employers about this. It is quite likely that some or all of them are victims of a scam, and are totally unaware that they did not earn their awards. I'm more interested in gathering a critical mass of doctors misrepresenting themselves this way and pinning these potentionally dangerous lies to the morally bankrupt, hypocritical Republicans.

•  Late night tip jar

  I don't usually do this, but I stayed up late digging in the muck so that you guys could have a chuckle.

  Here's to the inevitable fall of DeLay.

  by neil on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 10:20:27 PM PDT

  •  good job

    this is, in my opinion, one of the biggest and most damaging of the many stories out there. the republican party is selling honors as a fundraising tool? to doctors? in the name of the united states congress? um. makes the fuss over clinton's lincoln bedroom fundraisers look pretty silly. thanks for putting in the time to keep the ball rolling.

    by Addison on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 10:34:41 PM PDT

  •  congratulations

    You have done such a fine job that I would like to award you a "diarist of the year" plaque.  Please write your check or money order for $1,200 to John D'Oh.

    by john doh on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 03:57:40 AM PDT

•  If this story spreads far enough...

  I suspect some doctor's offices will be displaying some nice, clean, empty rectangles on their walls.

  by fly on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 10:39:32 PM PDT

•  high honor

  Note, also, that the FMA was investigating him for possibly providing false information to win a medical malpractice trial. Not exactly the kind of doctor who the Republican Party typically holds in high honor, am I right?

  Paging Dr. Frist... Dr. Bill Frist, to the TV talk shows please. A heart surgeon is needed to make a neurological diagnosis from a few seconds of videotape. Also, if you get a moment, please help spread some false information suggesting that AIDS can be spread through tears and sweat.

  No, I think that is in fact exactly the kind of doctor who the GOP typically holds in high honor.

  by drewthaler on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 10:43:18 PM PDT

•  Congressional Order of Merit ...

  ... is also a NRCC fundraising scam, apparently.  See for instance, this
  testimonial from a Republican who wasn't very impressed to be "nominated" for it.

  by gorlim on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 10:46:26 PM PDT

•  Another winner

  http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2005/0311/News/006.html

  Dr. Gail Whitman- Elia, founder of Advanced Fertility & Reproductive Endocrinology Institute in West Columbia, has helped countless couples become families. What she gives to these couples, she says, is her greatest reward. On March 15, however, she will be honored with a different kind of reward.

  Dr. Gail Whitman- Elia will receive a National Physician award in Washington, DC on March 15. The award is presented each year by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to recognize prominent physicians who make a difference in the economy of their home states.

  NRCC chairman, Congressman Tom Reynolds, will present the award to Dr. Whitman-Elia. In announcing the award, Reynolds said Dr. Whitman-Elia had shown "outstanding leadership and entrepreneurial spirit" which led to significant job creation at her practice.

  by gorlim on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 10:57:16 PM PDT

•  Another Physician of the Year here!

  I received several phone messages from the office of a NY Republican congressman, saying I'd been named "Physician of the Year" by the National Republican Congressional Committee, and to please call them back to discuss it.

  I never called back to ask whether I'd received the award for my advocacy for LGBT health issues, or for advocacy of single-payer health care.

  If they were calling me, they must have called every doctor in America. A simple Google of my name would have made it very clear that I should not be receiving any awards from the NRCC.

  by bernalman on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 10:59:33 PM PDT

  •  Yes, Congressman Reynolds

    The phone solicitation messages said they were from Congressman Thomas Reynold's office.

    by bernalman on Wed Apr 06, 2005 at 11:03:15 PM PDT

  •  As simple as spreading buckshot

    for these folk. See where the pellets stick in someone's behind and pick it out.

    But here's another issue: Can we get doctors like you along with Rep. Conyers to get an IG investigation going on this.

    If you ask me this sounds like RICO and wire fraud, etc.

    Pushed to the max, this could be a biggie. Arrogance + overreach = Stupid Repug Mistake.

    by towit on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 12:01:25 AM PDT

•  what is really fishy here

  is that all these stories about DeLay's sleazy and/or illegal fundraising are being reported now.  How long did ABC sit on this story?  This was practically common knowledge for years.  What other stories are they sitting on?  

  by john doh on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 04:00:46 AM PDT

•  Goldbrick Variations

  Excellent find.  

  This is a particularly insidious variation of the "[Republican] of the Year" awards the GOP has used in the past to ensnare wannabe VIPs.  

  A couple of years ago, my sister (a small business owner and, sigh, previous campaign donor) received a similar letter "honoring" her for her "leadership" and inviting her to an official-sounding luncheon to accept the award and "share her views" on issues of concern.  She would have gladly paid her own way to D.C. to participate in a real roundtable event (award or no award), but she was livid when she realized that she was being scammed for a $1,250 rubber-stamp, rubber-chicken fundraiser.  She called up state party officials and gave them a blistering earful, instead.  

  by musing graze on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 04:07:31 AM PDT

•  question

  Does the $1,250 count against the $2,000 maximum allowed for personal donations?

  by john doh on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 06:18:09 AM PDT

•  Same as the businessman of the year scam

  that they've been running for years.

  See these google search pages.

  Boy, they sure are proud of their phony awards, aren't they?

  by devtob on Thu Apr 07, 2005 at 07:15:18 AM PDT

•  If you want a good laugh call up the PAB

  I was bored one day an decided to call the committee to see if I could get a list of awardee's.  Try it sometime and see how it goes for you.  Here is the post from my site:  click here.

  I called the National Republican Congressional Committee office to find out more about the Physician of the Year Award. I asked to get a list of those given the award and the first person that answered the phone refused to give me the list saying that many of the people do not want to let that information be public. Then I asked if they would release a list of their donors and she said no, but went and got her supervisor. He told me that they would not release the information to people looking for a doctor. I got more brazen with my questions. I asked what was the selection criteria used to decide who got the award. He told me that he did not have that information and didn't know who did. Seems like the organization giving the awards should have that information. I asked what the difference between the Physician Advisory Board and the the Physician of the Year award was. He said that people the board were given the "medal". I further questioned what the role of the group was. He told me that they were solicited for their opinions on Medicare and "frivolous lawsuits". I could tell he was getting pretty annoyed since he asked why I wanted the information. I told him I had seen it on the news and in doctor's offices and wanted to know what the award meant. He refused to give out the list of awardees or the donors.
  Perhaps someone with experience could do a FOIA request for the donors. This seems awfully fishy especially since the Hammer (DeLay) is involved in the creation of the organization.
  Honestly this really scares me. Doctors buying awards. Dirty doctors.

  -cp

  by craigpress on Mon Apr 18, 2005 at 08:18:05 PM PDT