LYME DISEASE ACTION BEHIND AN INFECTIOUS
DISEASE "TOP DOCTOR" JOSEPH JEMSEK

We at Lyme Disease Action know Dr. Jemsek as a staunch supporter of Lyme Borreliosis victims. Lyme Disease Action supports the right of Lyme patients to be treated appropriately by all possible measures being taken to eliminate these insidious microbes from the body. In the event of treatment uncertainties occurring, we would support the use of the ILADS treatment guidelines and invoke and support the patient's right to choose to be treated, since patients remaining untreated is simply unacceptable.

Our impression of the work of Dr. Jemsek is that he is a caring physician who does put the patient and their needs first and we hope that this matter will soon be resolved in the best interests of patients everywhere.

Stephanie Woodcock
On behalf of Lyme Disease Action

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This organization and others are concerned that the North Carolina State Board of Medicine would bother one of the most brilliant and caring physicians in the state.

Some malpractice insurers are now offering state board hassle insurance. Perhaps because patient advocate groups are asking boards to start pretending they have the ability to handle complex innovative medicine. If a physician is trying to operate drunk, than a medical board needs to intervene. When the physician is a clinical expert in the top 1%, who handles patients no one wants to treat, then the medical board is simply in the way. A perfect example is in the issue of chronic pain control. Medical State Boards like the one in North Carolina, offer threats for treating, under-treating and not having all your paperwork in order in the care of pain. The result? No one will touch a pain patient because of a fear that they will not have all the intense paperwork done 200% correctly. One reason why in some states only 1-2% of the physicians will treat chronic pain Ð doctors know the way to "stay out of trouble" is to just not accept anyone is severe pain that is chronic.

I would call this, "What happens when lawyers and anti-clinician paper pushers run medicine." THE PATIENTS SUFFER HORRIBLY!