This was not my children’s lyme doc, but he is one of only a small number (2 or 3 that I know of) on the east coast who sees kids under 12, and a hero to many families with Lyme. Please help support him if you’re able. You can donate here. Even a small amount would make a difference, but he especially needs it by the end of the month:
Children’s Lyme disease network has a site to make online donations: http://www.indiegogo.com/JonesAppeal
Dear Friends,
First, I want to thank each and every one of you who responded to my last update by donating to my legal defense fund. Your generous response helped to reduce the outstanding balance, preserving my legal representation. The hearing before the Connecticut Supreme Court is expected to take place early this year. That proceeding is not able to accommodate a large audience, but I promise to keep you posted on the outcome!
Unfortunately, a very serious financial crisis is hitting my office which I must bring to your attention. As you know, my office has been under an enormous amount of stress for many years, due to the charges brought against me by the Connecticut Medical Examining Board (CMEB). In addition to huge legal fees and fines, the imposition of four years of monthly monitoring has posed an enormous burden, financial and otherwise. The monitor had to be hired through an agency, and his fees have been astronomical, averaging $4,000 per month.
This would be bad enough, but it also takes a great number of clerical hours to prepare each patient chart according to the specific and detailed format that he requires. This must be done by an experienced staff member, familiar with my practice. Due to the demands of the practice itself, she often has to do this after hours, resulting in overtime costs of about $2,000 per month.
When I first learned of the monitoring requirement, which was unusually stringent in terms of both its frequency and duration, I feared that it could drive me into bankruptcy. As a result, I have had to make some difficult modifications, to reduce our operating costs and keep the office open. For example, we have reduced our staffing from 5 to 3 medical assistants, very challenging for all of us, given the high demands posed by our very ill pediatric patients. I work 6 days a week seeing patients. I had hoped to train another pediatrician by now who would assist at my office and become my successor, but this has not been feasible, due to the adversarial climate surrounding my practice.
My attorney has petitioned the CMEB on at least one occasion, requesting that they reduce the monitoring requirement. The monitoring agency supported this request because the monitor has found no problems with my practice, but the CMEB denied it. Some of my colleagues have set up a fund to try to help with these costs, for which I am very grateful, but this has not been sufficient.
Despite these challenges, we were managing to break even financially until Hurricane Sandy hit, followed by a significant snowstorm. Patients, unable to leave their homes, had to cancel their appointments, and we saw almost no one during a two-week period. The loss of revenue, approximately $36,000, was devastating, and the office has been unable to recover financially. We have had to pay the monitor throughout this difficult period, in order to avoid my being held in contempt by the CMEB. As a result, I have fallen seriously behind in paying rent, salaries, utilities and more. I have been told by my building manager that if payment is not forthcoming by February 1, the corporation which owns my building will begin eviction proceedings.
In a nutshell, I am experiencing a financial crisis, and I will be forced to close my practice unless I am able to raise $40,000 within the next few days. It pains me deeply that a great number of patients and their families could be left without adequate care, and once again to have to turn to you for assistance. Any sum will be appreciated, but it must arrive at once! I will do my best to keep you apprised of the situation, including the point at which our goal is reached.
I want to assure you that my practice continues to be busy and I am seeing new patients, often on a daily basis. I was deeply touched by a recent letter from an adolescent patient, who had just returned to school after years of illness. She wrote: “Thank you, Dr. Jones, for healing me.” I cherish as always the opportunity to treat so many children with tick-borne diseases and to witness their return to health.
I am encouraged too by the fact that the monitoring requirement, burdensome as it is, is now more than halfway completed. That is a light at the end of the tunnel, and will make a tremendous difference in the longer-term financial stability of my office. To achieve this however, we need to overcome the immediate crisis!
Thank you for your attention and support. If we are successful in meeting the current financial challenge, I pledge to continue to do all that I can for our children with tick-borne diseases!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jones
Charles Ray Jones, M.D.
again:
Children’s Lyme disease network has a site to make online donations: http://www.indiegogo.com/JonesAppeal
jmankoff said,
February 2, 2013 at 6:54 pm
Thank you to everyone who helped.
“Dr. Jones would like to thank everyone for your incredible support.
Because of the tremendous number of contributions from the community,
you have allowed him to meet the deadline he was facing with his
landlord and other creditors. He has been overwhelmed by the outpouring
of support, both financial and otherwise, and is very thankful that he
will be able to keep his doors open.
While the immediate challenge has been addressed, the crisis has served
to bring to our attention the extremely stressful conditions under which
Dr. Jones and his staff continue to operate. For the time being, enough
funds have been raised to provide a bit of a cushion, should another
unforeseen event interrupt the daily flow of patients. The total amount
raised is being calculated, and that figure will be made available shortly.
Going forward, we are investigation other possible solutions, to
alleviate some of the considerable stress that Dr. Jones faces on a
daily basis. Due to the many years of having to defend his practice
before the Connecticut Medical Examining Board, Dr. Jones has to work
long hours at his advanced age, to pay for the high cost of the practice
monitor and related clerical expenses. In order to compensate for loss
of income due to court appearances and other demands on his time posed
by his legal battle, he works within a very tight budget. While some of
these expenses have been offset by the generous contributions from the
Lyme community, he continues to endure financial pressures as he remains
devoted to the children he treats.
Many of you have wondered how his knowledge and experience will be
passed on to future generations of physicians. Dr. Jones dearly wants
to devote more of his time to writing, to share his vast experience with
future generations. It would be wonderful if the
current crisis could serve as a catalyst for us to address these
concerns, and to assist Dr. Jones in developing a viable plan for
preserving his wisdom, lessons and legacy. One possibility would be to
create a non-profit foundation for this purpose through continued
fundraising, building on the momentum of these past several days. A
group of us will be looking into this and other possibilities. We
welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please stay tuned!
Sheila Statlender”