Summer Camp Medical (signed only by Mom?)

[evmori]

I think the question about her physician status is pertinent. We don't know why she is unemployed. It is possible she has lost her license due to malpractice. If you lose her and her kid, so be it.

[GernBlansten]

The status of her employment or license status is irrelevant to me.

What concerns me is that a medical professional would entrust her medically challenged son to other adults with unintelligible instructions. That shows more of her parenting skills than anything else.

Is she trying to setup the leadership for a lawsuit or just lazy? Johnny had a reaction to the peanut butter. Didn't you see this on the form? Right here! I can't help it if you can't read it! You people are at fault!

[sandspur]

Lets all take a deep breath.

There is nothing unusual about a parent physician signing a scouts health form. I have seen it happen and even seen a parent/physician accompany his son on outings with a medical kit by his side due to the lads health issues. It worked out just fine for his son (who probably couldnt have participated otherwise) and for the troop as well (hey, we got a physician with response kit on our campouts!)

We do not demand confirmation of status on other health forms do we?

Do you have any way of knowing if the signatures on all your other forms are valid? Maybe Mom or Dad just scribbled in some ink there rather than go to the doctor to get the health form filled out for the third time? Think it doesnt happen?

If you are worried about legal liability, I am not a lawyer and it is true that a lot of crazy lawsuits get filed, but seems to me if Mom misrepresented herself and fraudulently signed the health form, a suit against the scouts would be pretty hard to win.

Now legibility, that is another matter. Also, if the scout has unusual health conditions, I would not hesitate to have a chat with the parent and ask for clear, specific, written instructions on how to respond if a problem arose. If mom is a physician that ought to please her not upset her.

 

[Lisabob]

Ed, that's possible. But jumping to that conclusion based on the discussion thus far, with no evidence or reason to believe this except that she is currently a stay-at-home parent, is simply insulting. (I thought conservatives LIKED AND ENCOURAGED stay at home parents?!) Again, are you going to check up on the credentials of all the other "doctors" who signed all the other kids' forms? Why her, then? Oh wait, because she's a woman? Because she's a mom? Because she's a woman/mom/not currently working? Because she's a woman/mom/not currently working/with a sick kid/who maybe some leaders would just as soon not have to deal with? (how convenient)

 

Grr..

 

Let's at least have some REASON to suspect she's not in good standing before jumping to that particular conclusion, hmm?

[evmori]

Ed, that's possible. But jumping to that conclusion based on the discussion thus far, with no evidence or reason to believe this except that she is currently a stay-at-home parent, is simply insulting.

 

Not as insulting as that lawsuit that could get filed if something happens to her little darling & you then find out her license has been revoked.

 

Be Prepared.

[sandspur]

Not as insulting as that lawsuit that could get filed if something happens to her little darling & you then find out her license has been revoked.

You can FILE a lawsuit for anything. Winning is another matter. If she falsified the health form, hard to see her winning.

Besides, there are lots of reasons a physician might not be in active practice other than incompetence or having a revoked license. I speak from personal experience. I am in the pharmaceutical industry (PhD) and the place is crawling with medical professionals who do not practice in an office setting (rather, they are administrators, researchers, perform trials and product support, the list is endless).

Again, you do not verify license numbers or status from any other physician, RN or PA on any other health form do you? Do you even know who they are?

My wife is in a similar position. If anyone asked her to provide her license to prove she could practice, she would do so but I shudder to think of the lecture that would accompany it.

Ask yourself: Is there any requirement, legal or otherwise, that the scouts verify the status of those signing health forms?

 

[scoutldr]

C'mon Ed, you're being a little ridiculous. A good friend of ours is a stay at home mom. She is also a Pediatrician (MD) who hasn't practiced in the 20 years that we've known her. If she signed a camp form, would I question her? Absolutely not! That's none of my business. If something happens to her child while on a trip, I will simply present the form that SHE provided to us. I have no duty to ensure it's correct, or that's it's signed my a licensed provider. That's between her and the BSA. I operated in good faith, and had no evidence she was being fraudulent, IF that's what you call it. Sue away! Take your best shot. SHE certified that the form was true and correct...not me.

 

If a parent volunteers to go to camp and do electrical work for the Ranger, are YOU going to step in and demand to verify his licenses? Of course not. IT's between him and the Ranger and you have no liability.

 

Sheesh.

[evmori]

Am I being ridiculous? Maybe but in this day of a litigious society, I would like all my ducks in order.

[nolesrule]

I'd have an issue with someone who hasn't practiced in 20 years filling out a medical form. Medicine has changed a lot in 20 years.

[sandspur]

Aw Ed, I cant resist.

If you want to be paranoid about lawsuits, it never ends. How about this:

By asking for her credentials, you are establishing the precedent that you, your troop, verifies the status of the MD, DO, RN or PA who signs a health form. So, when another scout has a problem not disclosed on the health form and perhaps a parent too lazy or cheap to get a valid signature just scrawled something on the signature line, YOU are at fault, because YOU have established that YOU can (and therefore should) have verified all signatures.

Nah, the form is signed, thats where it ends. Worry more about illegible entries or if the lad has a health condition you dont know how to respond to.

 

[evmori]

sandspur,

 

I'm not paranoid about lawsuits but being stupid isn't one of my strong suits.

[sandspur]

Ed:

I hope I didnt imply you were. Didnt mean to. Sorry if it came out that way

Still, I think some folks are too worried here. And, worrying too much about lawsuits can tie you in knots. I recall a few years back when a company I worked with (not for) wanted to add a safety shut off switch on the business end a device, they were advised not to by legal since by adding the switch they were implying that someone might be near the business end of the machine during operation which was not recommended. So, as far as I know, operators are still losing fingers

I really think that if the troop has a signed health form, presented by the parent, and we have no reason to suspect it is fraudulent (being an MD not in practice does not do that) that is as far as I would take it. In this case, the troop noted that Mom had signed, asked her about it, and she told them she was a physician. The form states it must be signed by a licensed physician or other (PA etc) and she signed.

In every troop I know of, when health forms are presented, someone looks to see if there is a signature and then puts it in the book. Who that signature is from, if one can even read it, is never verified.

 

[Spiney Norman]

"One of the medicals that was recently turned in for our upcoming summer camp describes a Scout with some significant medical issues and on more meds than I've ever seen anyone take."

 

Is this the lads first time camping? If so, meds or not, I would not be taking him to Summer Camp.

 

Was no one in the troop aware of his medical condition before now? I find that truly hard to believe. In my limited experience parents of scouts with medical issues seek out a responsible person in the troop to fill them in on little johnny's care and condition.

 

Just my two cents.

 

 

 

 

[SMT224]

Well... finally got through to the MD Mom by phone.

 

Got clarification the medical issues - turns out he has water on the brain with a shunt that runs down his neck and chest and into his abdomen. She said he needs to avoid contact sports. NS!!

 

Not sure why she is not working, did not go into it, nor the status of her medical license. The conversation did not allow. This is the same parent I discussed in an earlier post (helicopter parents) who accused several Scouts of bullying her sensitive son (retracted after it turned out he just witnessed a confrontation between some Scouts).

 

What a pickle this is gonna be!!

 

Per several questions... yes, she signed as the parent, and then as the physician... No divorce so no custody issues... he went to Webelos camp, and the Webelos leader who was on that camping trip will be with us at summer camp, so will have someone along who knows him...

 

 

 

[evmori]

sandspur,

 

I didn't take you comment that way. My point is if this form is so unreadable it is basically useless and I do feel it is important to be ready to answer the question about mom being a Dr if it comes up.

 

Be prepared!