Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Seattle Times: ND Messer May Have Been Violating Her Suspension

here, reporting from the Seattle Times on a Washington State ND who may have been practicing while her license to practice was suspended: 

001. at seatletimes.com, Christine Willmsen writes in "Despite Suspended License, Kirkland Naturopath May Have Continued Practicing" (2017-05-29):

"in October 2012 [...] Brian Hirsh [...with] stage 4 colon cancer [...] started treatment with naturopath Lucinda Messer [...] Messer misled him and lied, state Department of Health records reveal. She didn’t consult an oncologist. She also didn’t explain the risks of unproven treatments before giving them to Hirsh [...] and when Hirsh died weeks later, Department of Health documents show Messer forged his medical records to protect herself from any repercussions [...] in January 2016, the Board of Naturopathy [...] suspended Messer's license to practice for five years, citing a host of violations, including treatment with unproven therapies, falsifying medical records, failing to obtain informed consent, advertising that she could treat cancer and prescribing drugs beyond her expertise, thereby misleading cancer patients [...]"; 

that is QUITE a sanction for quite horrible behavior.  But isn't naturopathy all about 'unproven / ejected, false, uninformed consent, beyond expertise, misleading'? 

 "despite her license suspension, the 1994 Bastyr University graduate may have still been treating cancer patients, in violation of the suspension order.  Messer is the registered agent of Vitality Vitamin, a company that records show was located in a Kirkland house where supplements and naturopath consultations were being offered. Messer promised on Vitality Vitamin’s website to investigate a person’s illness and evaluate blood tests for cancer patients.  She also invited people to the grand opening of the company on Sept. 1, Department of Health records show. A man who answered the door of the house last week said he’s lived there for six months.  The Department of Health has been investigating Messer’s actions with the vitamin company and three other complaints against her, including that she ordered lab tests and gave a fake prescription while suspended, according to state documents obtained through a public-records request. Messer, in an email to The Seattle Times, insists she has done nothing wrong. She declined to be interviewed by the newspaper [...]"; 

wow.  And Bastyr, and isn't Bastyr all about "fake"?  I've pointed out for more than ten years that they engage in commerce using the categorical label "science-based" while requiring commitments to science-exterior vitalistic and supernatural articles of faith.

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