It begins: FLA Doctor in Graysons district refuses to treat Obama patients

cal04

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Fri Apr-02-10 08:31 AM
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It begins: FLA Doctor in Graysons district refuses to treat Obama patients

Edited on Fri Apr-02-10 08:33 AM by cal04

by stevesmill
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/4/2/853453/-It-begins:-FLA-Doctor-in-Graysons-district-refuses-to-treat-Obama-patients

When i first heard about this story in my town I honestly thought it was a joke, but since I know some right wing docs personally it sadly doesn't surprise me. Lake County is home to The Villages which is very very republican.. however Mount Dora, which is 25 minutes away in the same county is more of an artsy small town and shouldn't be bashed cause of one idiot.

from the Orlando Sentinel:

A doctor who considers the national health-care overhaul to be bad medicine for the country posted a sign on his office door telling patients who voted for President Barack Obama to seek care "elsewhere."

"I'm not turning anybody away � that would be unethical," Dr. Jack Cassell, 56, a Mount Dora urologist and a registered Republican opposed to the health plan, told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday. "But if they read the sign and turn the other way, so be it."

The sign reads: "If you voted for Obama...seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years."

check out the pic he put up!

(http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-mount-dora-doctor-tells-patients-go-aw20100401,0,5593120.story)

Estella Chatman, 67, of Eustis, whose daughter snapped a photo of the typewritten sign, sent the picture to U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, the Orlando Democrat who riled Republicans last year when he characterized the GOP's idea of health care as, "If you get sick America ... Die quickly.

Chatman said she heard about the sign from a friend who was referred to Cassell after his physician recently died. She said her friend did not want to speak to a reporter, but was dismayed by Cassell's sign.

"He's going to find another doctor," she said

I really can't believe these doctors can be this hypocritical.. they've gotten medicare for years from all of lake counties old people and gotten rich off of it and now this.

but before you make any assumptions there might be a method to his madness.

Cassell, whose lawyer-wife, Leslie Campione, has declared herself a Republican candidate for Lake County commissioner, said three patients have complained, but most have been "overwhelmingly supportive" of his position.

"They know it's not good for them," he said.

so pretty much he risked his integrity and practice to better his wifes political aspirations.. wowza.

and finally Grayson responds

The outspoken Grayson described Cassell's sign as "ridiculous."

"I'm disgusted," he said. "Maybe he thinks the Hippocratic Oath says, �Do no good.' If this is the face of the right-wing in America, it's the face of cruelty...Why don't they change the name of the Republican Party to the Sore Loser Party."

and here is a tidbit I found in case you want to know what this dude looks like and his rating.. can u guess how many stars he gets? not a guy who takes his profession too seriously eh?

http://www.vitals.com/doctor/rate/Dr_Jack_Cassell

for the record lake county county commissioners are ALL republican, so this stunt might actually work. Its one thing to pull a stunt like this to gain political points amongst your own rabid supporters, but when it involves medicine and peoples health something about this just bothers me to the core as a progressive. Doctors should try to better medicine, not better their wallets or spouses political dreams. Our side just has different opinions I guess. If I am ever bicycling down the road near his office and I see this doctor I will tell him my opinion nicely.