Medical board’s director resigns after controversy

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Published Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 | 4:07 p.m.

Updated Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 | 4:59 p.m.

KEVIN CLIFFORD/SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Louis Ling speaks during a Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners meeting in 2008 in Reno.

Double Standard?

Medical board member exits over leaked memo (10-8-2009)
Gibbons sides with medical board over leaked memo (10-7-2009)
Medical board member asked to resign after contact with media (10-5-2009)

Board of Medical Examiners

CARSON CITY – Louis Ling, executive director of the state Board of Medical Examiners, has resigned after being involved in a controversy over the use of medical assistants giving flu shots.

Dan Burns, communications director for Gov. Jim Gibbons, said Ling has quit. Stacy Woodbury, deputy chief of staff for Gibbons, said the governor did not ask for his resignation.

Ling could not be reached for comment. The resignation was announced by Dr. Charles Held, president of the medical examiners board that regulates physicians.

Ling was the second member of that board to quit this week. Board member Jean Stoess resigned after being accused by Ling of leaking a confidential memo to a Las Vegas Sun reporter.

Ling formerly was the executive director of the state Pharmacy Board before resigning to take the job with the medical board about a year ago.

The board, in an emergency meeting Sept. 18, adopted a regulation to stop medical assistants from performing certain services, such as administering the cosmetic drug Botox.

But the regulation allowed medical assistants to give flu shots and vaccinations. A controversy ensued and the board was sued.

District Judge Kathleen Delaney ruled the meeting of the board violated Nevada’s open meetings law when some of its members left in the middle of the meeting to go to lunch without hearing the public comment.

The judge also said the board probably exceeded its authority in adopting the regulation.

After the ruling, Ling said he wasn’t sure what the board should do – either ask for reconsideration by the judge or hold another special meeting to adopt a regulation to permit medical assistants to administer flu shots.

Ling and Dr. Held asked Stoess, of Reno, to resign for providing the e-mail memo to a Las Vegas Sun reporter. Gov. Gibbons also asked for Stoess’ resignation.

While the board was trying to decide what to do, a compromise was worked out to allow medical assistants to give shots under the direct supervision of a physician.

Dr. Held said the board would start a new rule-making process on the use of medical assistants by physicians.

Discussion: 4 comments so far…

By Birdiedreamin

10/9/09 at 5:05 p.m.

Suggest removal

one maggot gone...
many, many more maggots to go...
maggots, maggots everywhere...
make no mistake boys and girls...
the pathetic medical board seems to think that they are there to protect the money grubbing whore doctors and not the citizens of nevada...
what complete and total maggots...
the medical board is a failure...
the medical board is a complete and total failure...
chuckie boy held is a failure...
chuckie boy held is a complete and total failure...
louis ling was a failure...
louis ling was a complete and total failure...
tony clark was a failure...
tony clark was a complete and total failure...
monkie boy gibbons is a failure...
monkie boy gibbons is a complete and total failure...
bottom line...
the legislature needs to blow the medical board up...
and start over from scratch...
there are 2 people that have a clue with regard to this matter...
senator steven horsford at 775-684-1429 - shorsford@sen.state.nv.us...
assembly woman sheila leslie at 775-684-8845 - sleslie@asm.state.nv.us...
contact these 2 folks that actually have a clue on this matter and express your outrage at the maggots on the medical board...
and if these 2 folks are not your senator or assembly person call your senator and assembly person and ask them what the hell they are doing about all of the maggots on the medical board...
maggots, maggots everywhere...
let's all start squashing some of these maggots!!!
By 2zero

10/9/09 at 6:23 p.m.

Suggest removal

Back to billing for services never rendered?
By parco

10/9/09 at 8 p.m.

Suggest removal

The resignation of Louis Ling. It's as good as any one of these fictional Medical shows on TV. You really couldn't have scripted this any better. The Investigative reporter who inadvertantly sets up a sting regarding truth telling with a member of the State Medical Board.(Dr. Rodriquez) Who not only lies about the use of Medical Asst. in his office, but follows it up with a written statement denying it the following day. Neither he nor his buddy Mr. Ling know that the reporter had actually called and set up an appt. with the M.A.for Botox in Rodriquez's office the same week as the FACE TO FACE program is running.
Rodriquez has a problem. To assist his assoc. from the Medical Board, Ling flys into town and corroborates the fiction the Dr. had created. At the same time creating another fiction by Mr. Ling about the arrest of a women who he says has been working without a Dr.s supervision, unlike Dr. Rods M.A. who performs directly under Dr. Rods Supervision.Monica good, Betty bad. And he does it on the F To F program.
We subsequently find out that this is not true. Betty had a DR. supervising her. We then find out that she is most likely the most qualified M.A. in Nevada.
I commend Mr. Ling for resigning. but he didn't have to wait for the debacle of his orchestrating a ludicrous Medical Assistant law. His downfall began when the lady was arrested for doing what it now seems every doctor in NV.does. Utilize M.A.s to do what they are well trained to do. Assist Drs. Mr. Ling almost threw out the baby with the bath. Thank goodness the wind was blowing too strongly in his face.
That wind fortunately was the truth discovered by Ms. Gentry and Mr. Ralston. Don't know them, never met them but all I can say is well done on behalf of the citizens of my state where I was born. Oh! and what about Dr. Rod.?
By detectivegadget

10/10/09 at 10:03 a.m.

Suggest removal

The Dominos are falling. Who's next? Stay tuned...Ms. Gentry and Mr. Ralston have just begun. I'm here to tell you, NOT OVER YET!!

Dr. Rod and his cronies...what to do now?