Idaho doctors seek treatment for own ailments
Monday, December 22, 2008 10:17 AM PST
BOISE (AP) — At least 27 Idaho doctors and physician assistants are currently seeking long-term treatment for addictions, mental illnesses and other problems, according to the Idaho Board of Medicine.
These caregivers being treated in the Physician Recovery Network make up what people in the field say is a growing number of professionals whose job is to care for others but who are struggling themselves, often as a result of pressure from insurers, the government and even demanding patients.
‘‘I think the stress may be an added factor,’’ Dr. Steven Marano, an Idaho Falls neurosurgeon and state Board of Medicine chairman, told the Idaho Statesman.
Across Idaho, there are about 4,000 doctors, or about 1,000 more than a decade ago. In the last 20 years, 104 medical professionals whose cases were reported to the board have sought treatment for substance abuse, mental illness or other problems, the Board of Medicine said recently.
The board’s recently released statistics show the No. 1 drug of abuse is alcohol, which was abused by 49 of the doctors who have entered treatment. Hydrocodone, a narcotic painkiller that goes by brand names including Lortab and Vicodin, is a distant second, with 10 doctors entering treatment because of it.
The group didn’t give statistics for nurses who may struggle with drugs or other problems. The Physician Recovery Network, which is overseen by the Board of Medicine and the Idaho Medical Association, is available for Idaho doctors looking for help. Addicted doctors usually go to one of a handful of out-of-state treatment centers that specialize in helping healthcare workers, often costing more than $10,000 monthly and paid for out of their own pocket books, said Ron Hodge, associate executive director of the medical association.
Treatment typically is two or three days of medical evaluation, followed by 90 days of in-patient care, plus up to five years of monitoring once they return to their practices. That can include drug testing, mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and additional counseling.
