Annelle Blanchard, MD, Peer Reviewed To Death !!
|
| Annelle C. Blanchard, MD
Dr. Annelle C. Blanchard is an example of the most tragic result of sham peer review. For those of you who think this type of scenario could not happen to you, you are urged to read on. It may save your life. Dr. Blanchard was a particularly gifted OB/GYN with a de facto specialization in high risk pregnancies, and a high degree of success in delivering babies who would have never made it without her. She had a very successful New Orleans private practice and LSU appointment, and was an expert in cervical cerclage, a procedure which even some of the most experienced OB/GYN's preferred to refer to her. She made a name for herself in New Orleans, catering to celebrities (e.g. vampire-afficionada Anne Rice), female doctors, lawyers, and politicians). In the mid-90's, clearly for economic reasons, a local hospital decided to get rid of her, to the point of firing a university professor, who would not, via peer review, falsely trash her performance. They instituted bogus, sham, Gestapo peer-review tactics. They (and their lawyers) had great influence on the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, and her license was put into limbo for unsupported allegations of drug abuse. They were instrumental in getting published devastating, but erroneous and/or misleading, press releases attempting to destroy her reputation. After a series of economically devastating lawsuits and health problems, such as a near fatal car accident while pregnant with twins, including splenectomy, intracranial hemorrhage and post-operative pulmonary embolus, and life threatening herpes zoster encephalitis, Dr. Blanchard found her life and career significantly shattered, and she took a position in Florida (where she had previously obtained licensure) treating indigent patients in Ft. Pierce, in 2000. She struggled to establish a practice there and eventually continue her life with her six children, whom she was supporting in Louisiana, waiting to send for them when her credentialing problems could be straightened out. In January of 2001, her modest oceanside apartment increased its rates to adjust for the tourist season, and Dr. Blanchard made a great sacrifice and moved to a very small efficiency apartment to enable her to keep sending enough money back to her family. The apartment was replete with fire code violations, the least of which was -- no smoke detectors. A fire occurred on January 22, 2001. After suffering massive burns, Annelle died on February 3, 2001, at the age of 50, at the Tampa Burn Unit. A web page honoring this beautiful devoted physician and mother of six is posted for your viewing. There is no doubt in the minds of the persons who knew and loved Annelle that the real cause of her premature demise was malicious and evil "peer review," instituted by competitors and those who would ruin her career for their own personal gain. She was literally hounded to death, from one state to another, by those who would use "peer review" as a weapon against a physician who was too good to compete against. She has been an inspiration to many of the Semmelweis Society members, a terrible but inspiring reason to persist in the crusade against sham peer review. She was a wonderful and caring doctor who was destroyed, even killed, by "peer review" at its worst. We will never forget her. The Center For Peer Review Justice, info@PeerReview.org |
|
Anne Rice's Message on Annelle Blanchard
|
|
