Petition to Governor to stop HPRP abuses

[carollucas1776]

Please consider signing the below petition on change.org

This is how we fight back.

Carol Lucas

[email protected]

The Michigan Health Professionals Recovery Program (HPRP) was originally intended as a safe haven for licensed health professionals seeking treatment before their addiction harms their families and their career. Once a well-intended organization HPRP has been forcing licensed health professionals into unnecessary and costly (financially and emotionally) substance abuse programs against the recommendation of treating physicians. HPRP has disregarded the recommendations of their own providers as well as the decisions of administrative law judges forcing nurses to either agree to unnecessary multi-year substance abuse treatment contract or face automatic suspension of their professional license. Rather than succumb to the unreasonable and unconstitutional practices of HPRP we are fighting back through the court system. A complaint was recently filed in the Eastern District of Michigan seeking an injunction and damages for the constitutional violations committed by HPRP and LARA. Please click hereHealth Professionals File Class Action Against HPRP to learn about the complaint; click herehttps://mllangan1.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/michigan-amended-complaint-2-15-cv-10337.pdffor a copy of the complaint. However, resolution through the courts is likely to take a significant amount of time. We are seeking your support in petitioning Governor Snyder to stop the abuses now. Our hope is that, in the end, no other healthcare professional will have to endure the loss of license, loss of income, humiliation and turmoil we have had to battle. I am asking for your help in fighting this injustice along with us.

Act now, sign the petition and inform your colleagues and friends! Michigan health professionals need your support now!

[CryssyD]

In my state there is a monitoring committee that oversees the monitoring program; if you have a grievance you can't resolve with the program, or just seem to be running into brick walls, that is who you contact--in my state. I suspect there is someone tasked with keeping an eye on these programs in every state that has them--check your Board's website; be prepared to hunt for it, though.

The problems eknurse1 describes are exactly what I had in mind--you would think that programs and evaluators can differentiate between the dangerously out-of-control and the made-a-stupid-mistake/got-swept-up-in-a-witchhunt, but it isn't as easy as it seems. The problem is that addiction is a disease process that we really don't quite understand; hopefully, though, that thinking may soon be going through a minor revolution. I highly recommend Chasing the Scream--a very enlightening book--for anyone interested in progressive thinking about addiction.

[SororAKS, ADN, RN]

The more I read about this, the more wrong and seriously messed up it all looks. The worst thing is that nurses lives and careers are at stake. It is amazing to me that more care would not be taken. If the BON is so concerned with protecting the public, how could this not begin with helping the nurses as much as possible instead of arbitrarily punishing severely or not enough?

[eknurse1]

Just wanted to check in to see if there is any new information regarding the class action law suit?

[carollucas1776]

Turns out there were hundreds, possibly more, careers and lives adversely affected by Michigan bon/hprp recklessness. It's just a matter of time.

[CryssyD]

The more I read about this, the more wrong and seriously messed up it all looks. The worst thing is that nurses lives and careers are at stake. It is amazing to me that more care would not be taken. If the BON is so concerned with protecting the public, how could this not begin with helping the nurses as much as possible instead of arbitrarily punishing severely or not enough?

Exactly! I think the truth is that the BON may care more about appearing to protect the public than actually doing it. Actually addressing the problem is complicated and probably expensive; appearing to address the problem is easier. CYA!