Wisconsin state medical board imposes harsh sanctions against Chelation physician - Editorial

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Jan, 2003

In a proposed settlement, the State of Wisconsin ordered a chelation physician to return to medical school, retake and pass the licensing exam for graduating medical students, have all charts under review by a non-chelating physician, desist from ordering any non-standard alternative medical laboratory testing, require a consent form signed by all patients informing them that the alternative therapy is not-FDA approved nor approved by any official medical organization, and desist from any non-label use of drugs or non-FDA approved devices. Additionally, the physician was ordered to pay the State of Wisconsin for their legal expenses in sanctioning the physician. In the course of the trial the State of Wisconsin named Robert S. Baratz, a medical expert capable of testifying on the validity of alternative medical treatments including chelation, Broda Barnes' thyroid treatment, hair analysis, environmental allergy testing, and other treatments. Although this proposed settlement has not been accepted by Eleazar K adile, MD, the charged chelation physician, as of this November date, the Wisconsin prosecuting attorney as well as the Wisconsin medical board clearly have laid out enormous sanctions -- primarily based on the practice of alternative medicine, not harm to patients. In the document provided below, the extent of sanctioning is stipulated. Reading this document gives ample evidence that medical boards are now seeking emasculation of any physician guilty of practicing alternative medicine. It is probable that the guidelines established earlier this year by the Federation of State Medical Boards on the disciplining of alternative practitioners played an important role in imposing harsh penalties on Dr. Kadile.

Jonathan Collin, MD

The parties in this matter agree to the terms and conditions of the attached Stipulation as the final decision of this matter, subject to the approval of the Board. The Board has reviewed this Stipulation and considers it acceptable.

Accordingly, the Board in this matter adopts the attached Stipulation and makes the following:

Findings of Fact

1. The respondent is Eleazar deMira Kadile (DOB 1/26/39) who is licensed and currently registered as a physician and surgeon in the State of Wisconsin. License #20408, first granted on 10/1/76. Respondent's most recent address on file with the Department of Regulation and Licensing is 1538 Belleview St., Green Bay, WI 54311.

2. During the year 1995, and in subsequent years, respondent caused to be distributed and published to the public a brochure advertising his services as a physician, which brochure stated: "Relentless study of allergy and the environment led to his board certification in Environmental Medicine. In 1992, he received a Fellowship from that same organization." The brochure did not contain the complete name of the specialty board which conferred the certification.

3. In the same brochure, respondent advertises as follows: "Our Certified Clinical Nutritionist is available to discuss nutritional needs with you." In fact respondent had no person on his staff or associated with his practice who was or is certified under [section][section]448.70 to 448.94, Wis. Stats, although the person had passed a certification test for a national private association in the field of nutrition in 1991.

4. Respondent caused or authorized to be published in the August 17, 1996 (Sunday) Green Bay Press-Gazette, a general circulation newspaper, an advertisement which stated that a "typical" patient treated with chelation therapy reported that his coronary artery blockage was halved by respondent's chelation therapy, and that "chelation therapy is an effective way to not only combat, but reverse some of the effects of atherosclerosis." The Board finds that there is not sufficient data to support these representations.

5. At all times relevant hereto respondent treated patient Roy P., a male born in 1939 with a history of stroke, mild diabetes, herniated lumbar disc L-4-L5, and angioplasty. He had cholesterol levels of 250, with LDL of 173, and was taking cholestyramine.

6. On 11/7/91, respondent first saw this patient and diagnosed the patient as suffering from subclinical hypothyroidism.

7. The patient's T3 and FTI laboratory test results were within normal limits, while the T4 was 4.5 (the normal range is 4.9 to 9.5), based on the first laboratory test results in the patient's chart, which bear the date of 11/11/91.

8. The laboratory test results set forth in the previous paragraph do not support a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Respondent's statements that he believed the patient to have "subclinical hypothyroidism" based on the laboratory reports, an uncharted low basal temperature, high cholesterol, the presence of scleroderma (an autoimmune disorder) and diabetes, and a report of feeling fatigued, is not recognized by the Board.

9. Respondent prescribed desiccated thyroid per day, beginning 11/21/91, for treatment of hypothyroidism.