Has Dr. Frist Been Practicing Medicine Without a License?
Will the Senate Majority Leader be forced to take the "M.D." sign off his Senate Majority Leader office door?
We knew Bill Frist was out of touch with his home state, but who knew the catkiller and long distance diagnoser was breaking the laws of Tennessee? Oh, we forgot, Frist is a Republican. Breaking laws is what Republicans do.
WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist acknowledged Tuesday that he may not have met all the requirements needed to keep his medical license active — even though he gave paperwork to Tennessee officials indicating that he had.
The state of Tennessee requires its licensed physicians to complete 40 hours of continuing medical education every two years. Frist, a heart-lung surgeon who is considering a 2008 presidential run, submitted a license renewal with the Tennessee Health Department stating he has fulfilled that requirement.
Responding Tuesday to repeated requests from The Associated Press, a Frist spokesman said the Republican senator may not have done his continuing education after all, and had contacted the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners to see if corrective steps were necessary. . .
Frist recently took blood-pressure tests on Iowans during a visit to the state that holds the first presidential caucuses. He also keeps the letters "MD" next to his name on his Senate office door and has been known to keep a doctor's bag and lab coat on hand on the campaign trail or in his Capitol Hill office. . .
Dan Warlick, a Nashville lawyer who represents doctors in trouble with the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, said a case such as Frist's would likely be taken seriously.
"They have been routinely revoking licenses for physicians who have misrepresented to the board what they have done," Warlick said.
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Thanks to William and Fred!
UPDATE: A spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Health says it is unlikely that Frist will have his medical license suspended, but likely that he will be fined $40 for every hour of continuing education he did not complete. That'll teach the filthy rich catkiller.
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