8.20.87 Doctor Liscensing

PRESS RELEASE
August 20, 1'987
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senate Vice P.r:.:sicient John A. BelI attempted to ptay Russien Roulette
of Virgin
wjth ttre [ves
charged today.
legjslate
During ttris weekrs Senate sessjon BelI attempted to
regardJess of their
that
fot doctors in the Territory
liensing
an acrcss4tre-board
Senate Minorjty
Senator Hol],and L. Redfield I
rslaqflsss,
gualifir-arions.
Leader
"now we are playing
Redfield told
docbrs"
his crelleagues on thre Senate Floor
and ttre healthr of tkre people wjll be
Redfield attacked the amendment offered
jegpardized.
which directed
by Senator Bc]]
the Healttr Commissioner to license al'l persons who have
a tempora:ry doctorrs license and have worked for tlre government
years.
consecutlve
"Fortunately
five
tlris amendment was nctb adopted by the
Senate, " Qsdfield Said, "because it does not require
any qualificatircn
what-so-ever"
'If
this amendment had been subjected to tJ:e Proper c€milLitbee
Scrutinyr"
Qsdfield observed,
"jt would never have made jt b the floor
of ttre LegisJature. " This parliamentarlz
few,
maneuver,
would have grave oonsequences for the many.
designed to serve a
It is legjslation
JI
like tLris wtr-ich circumvents
the reguJatory
2
3
1
.'.?
the checks and batances of
proc€ss whjch opens thre door for every
nLisfit to come to the Terrjtory
vfugjn rslanders,
and get a license to practirce medicine on
he poiated out.
"we senators sh6rr'rr1 nct, attempt to
dec-ids who shor:ld be a'rioensed doctorr"Redfic'rd
5
should be crrnserned wjttr estabtishjng
(f,
properly
7
responsibiJity
I
people.
said. ,'Rather,
we
polir-y and makjng certain that a
qua'liried board of medical experts
of deciding
sort of medical
are charged
who is que'lificd to deliver
w-ittr the
healtlr care to the
9
10
" r am noE blind to tlre fact that jn tLre past we have h3fl 'r.insnsjng
11
irreguJarities,
12
create many more p::oblemsr"
13
setback ttre v.r.
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elected to protect.
t3
license procedures.
t()
meaningflilly
however,
to overreact
tcr basir. internar
he pointed out.
This regislatlcn
health system and damage the very
other jurlsdictions
would
people we are
are movjng to tighten
with Beil's amendment the v.r.
required
prcblems js to
up merlioal
wor.rld remove all the
gua].ifi car_ions.
17
1E
"rt is a threat
l9
us senators
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h-ighly technical
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acceptabJe health ca:e is
22
the seventeenttr
2?
thjs issue: in fact,
2'1
vftar and technicar area of healttr care de.Liveryr,, he
onc}rded.
to the ver]F lives
to attempt
b
djctate
fie]rlr"Qsflfield
i-egisJature
of everyone
Terzjtory
the crcmpetence of an jndividual
stated.
The delivery
compJicated and fragjle.
who is trained
-0-
for
in this
of ad.equately
',r know of
no one in
and skilted
jn dealing
it is not, ttre Senate's responsiJci'lity b
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-6
Jiving in this
wjth
get into this