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Irregular News for 9.01.05
CONCORD — The New Hampshire Board of Medicine yesterday set a disciplinary hearing on two complaints filed against Dr. Terry Bennett charging him with misconduct and disrespectful and unprofessional behavior.
One complaint charges he spoke to an obese female patient about her condition in a way that caused her distress and embarrassment. The other complaint, which was filed in 2001, said Bennett advised another female patient to buy a pistol so she could commit suicide to end her physical suffering.
Bennett’s attorney Chuck Douglas said the bigger issue is “how much under the First Amendment (of the Constitution) can government intrude into a doctor’s office.”
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Bennett has characterized the complaint as being filed because “I told a fat woman she was obese.”
The notice released yesterday quotes Bennett as telling the woman, “You need to lose weight. Let’s face it if your husband were to die tomorrow who would want you. Well, men might want you but not the types that you want to want you. Might even be a black guy.”
“The racial undertone gave rise to concern by the board the complaint might need further investigation,” Head said. “I want to make clear the board’s investigation is not about a doctor telling his patient she is obese.” (Editor's note: The word "not" was erroneously omitted from the previous sentence in earlier versions of this story on this site and in the New Hampshire Union Leader.)
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Bennett said getting patients’ attention about their behavior that will eventually kill them is what physicians do. “If you take that away from a physician — take that away by a regulatory board, why would anyone go to a doctor?” Bennett asked.
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CONCORD — The New Hampshire Board of Medicine yesterday set a disciplinary hearing on two complaints filed against Dr. Terry Bennett charging him with misconduct and disrespectful and unprofessional behavior.
One complaint charges he spoke to an obese female patient about her condition in a way that caused her distress and embarrassment. The other complaint, which was filed in 2001, said Bennett advised another female patient to buy a pistol so she could commit suicide to end her physical suffering.
Bennett’s attorney Chuck Douglas said the bigger issue is “how much under the First Amendment (of the Constitution) can government intrude into a doctor’s office.”
~~~~~
Bennett has characterized the complaint as being filed because “I told a fat woman she was obese.”
The notice released yesterday quotes Bennett as telling the woman, “You need to lose weight. Let’s face it if your husband were to die tomorrow who would want you. Well, men might want you but not the types that you want to want you. Might even be a black guy.”
“The racial undertone gave rise to concern by the board the complaint might need further investigation,” Head said. “I want to make clear the board’s investigation is not about a doctor telling his patient she is obese.” (Editor's note: The word "not" was erroneously omitted from the previous sentence in earlier versions of this story on this site and in the New Hampshire Union Leader.)
~~~~~
Bennett said getting patients’ attention about their behavior that will eventually kill them is what physicians do. “If you take that away from a physician — take that away by a regulatory board, why would anyone go to a doctor?” Bennett asked.
Full Story
