WEATHER
WEATHER STATION IN YOUR AREA.4@@ >>> YOU MAY THINK DOCTORS HAVE
IT ALL, EDUCATION, STATUS AND
MONEY, BUT NOW THEY HAVE
SOMETHING ELSE.
SOMETHING ELSE. THE HIGHEST SUICIDE RATE OF ANY
PROFESSION.
PROFESSION. FOR MONTHS, THE TEAM HAS BEEN
EXPOSING A PROGRAM THAT IS
SUPPOSED TO HELP STRUGGLING
DOCTORS.
DOCTORS.
DOCTORS. >> WHAT THEY FOUND OUT HAS SOME
LOCAL DOCTORS QUESTIONING IF IT
IS HARMING MORE THAN HELPING.
HERE IS PJ.>> Reporter: THIS IS
A DOCTOR HEALTH PROGRAM THAT4@
COULD EXIST IN ALMOST EVERY
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. AFTER WE FIRST BEGAN EXPOSING
PROBLEMS WITH IT, WE HEARD FROM
DOCTORS IN ALMOST EVERY PART OF
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. TONIGHT, ONE OF THOSE DOCTORS
IS REVEALING HOW HE SPIRALED
INTO POVERTY AFTER GETTING HELP
FR4@OM THIS PROGRAM.>> FURTHERE
YEARS, BOB WAS A SMALL-TOWN
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR. >> ALL HE EVER DID WAS PLAY
HOCKEY, PRACTICE MEDICINE.
>> WHILE HE WAS BUSY HEALING
OTHERS, HE STRUGGLED TO HEAL
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF.
HIMSELF. >> MY FATHER4@ HAD DEPRESSION.
I THINK I INHERITED SOME OF
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> HIS FIGHT WAS A PRIVATE ONE,
MANAGED4@ WITH ANXIETY MEDS.
>> I FOUND THAT HELPED ME.
>> BOB SUPERVISORS OFFERED HIM @
A LIFELINE, CONFIDENTIAL
TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. >> THEY WANTED ME TO 4@SPEAK4@
GENTLEMAN4@4@ IN CHARGE OF THE
HEALTH PROGRAM.
HEALTH PROGRAM. >> THAT IS KNOWN AS THE PHP,
THE IDEA BEHIND IT IS TO 4@HELP
DOCTORS WITH ADDICTION OR
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES GET WELL
AND RETURN TO PRACTICE.
ONCE YOU ASK THEM FOR HELP,4@ Y
ARE NO LONGER IN CONTROL.
THE PHP DECIDES WHERE YOU GO
FOR TREATMENT, NO MATTER 4@THE
COST.
COST.
COST. IF
COST. IF YOU FAIL TO FOLLOW ANY OF
THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE STATE
MEDICAL BOARD COULD REVOKE YOUR
LICENSE.>> 4@I THOUGHT SURE, WH
NOT4@? 4@
NOT4@? 4@
NOT4@? 4@ >> FIRST HE WAS TOLD TO REPORT
TO A PHP4@ TREATMENT CENTER IN
KANSAS.
KANSAS.
KANSAS. THEN ANOTHER, HUNDREDS OF MILES
AWAY IN GEORGIA.
>> WHY DIDN'T YOU GO HOME?
>> I THOUGHT I HAD TO 4@DO IT.
>> THE TREATMENT4@4@ WOULD COST
AROUND $50,000, ALL THE MONEY
HE HAD IN THE WORLD.
HE SAID THE PROGRAM DID NOTHING
TO TREAT HIS DEPRESSION.>> HOW
ARE YOU FEELING?
I JUST SAID TERRIBLE.
I FEEL TERRIBLE.
>> THEY SAID THANKS FOR
SHARING.
SHARING.
SHARING. >> HE DID EVERYTHING THEY
DEMANDED4@, RELEASED WITH A CLE
BILL OF HEALTH, HE WAS NOT
ALLOWED TO PRACTICE MEDICINE.
THEY REQUIRED BOB TO SIGN UP
FOR FIVE 4@YEARS OF MONITORING.
>> THEY JUST SAID HERE IS THE
AGREEMENT, YOU HAVE GOT TO SIGN
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> BOB QUICKLY LEARNED HE COULD
NOT AFFORD IT.
>> IF I WAS WORKING, IT WOULD
HAVE BEEN CHUMP CHANGE, BUT I
DECIDED 4@INTO A STATE OF
PROPERTY.
PROPERTY.
PROPERTY. >> PROGRAM THAT 4@PLEDGES TO
RETURN PHYSIC4@IA4@NS TO HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL FUNCTIONING DID
NOT WANT TO HELP4@ BOB IF HE
COULD NOT PAY.
HE WAS IN VIOLATION OF HIS
CONTRACT.
CONTRACT.
CONTRACT. THE 4@MISSOURI BOARD OF MEDICIN
REVOKED HIS LICENSE.
>> MY LIFE IS RUINED.
>> A FORMER ATTORNEY AGREED TO @
SPEAK WITH US WITHOUT REVEALING
HIS IDENTITY.
HIS IDENTITY. HE ONCE WORKED WITH THE PHP,
NOW HE HELPS DOCTORS WHO FIND
THEMSELVES STUCK IN THE PROGRAM@
>> THEY LOSE THEIR MONEY, THEIR
INVESTMENTS AND SOMETIMES EVEN
THE GREATER COST OF LOSING
THEIR FAMILY.>> 4@THERE HAVE BE
PHYSICIANS WHO HAVE TAKEN THEIR
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> THE TEAM TRAFFORD TO
JEFFERSON CITY.
JEFFERSON CITY. WE STILL4@ SHARED HIS ORDEAL WI
ONLY ONE OF TWO DOCTORS.
>> I WOULD BE CURIOUS ABOUT AN
AUDIT OF 4@THIS PARTICULAR AREA
>> HOW DO YOU THINK YOU MAY BE
ABLE TO SHED LIGHT ON THE ISSUE
AS A LAWMAKER?>> WE NEED TO
TAKE A LOOK 4@AT THIS.
SO I THINK I WILL TAKE A LOOK
AT THIS.
AT THIS.
AT THIS. >> HAS FRIEND, 4@DOCTOR JIM SET
ON THE BOARD OF 4@THE PHP AND T
STATE MEDICAL BOARD.4@
FIRST, HE AGREED TO SPEAK WITH
US.
US.
US. >>
US. >> THEN, HE STOPPED ANSWERING
OUR CALLS.
OUR CALLS. TO HER SURPRISE, STATE SENATOR
NEELY HAD SUDDENLY CHANGED HIS
MIND ABOUT LOOKING INTO THE PHP.
THEY ARE JUST THE LATEST
LEADERS TO AVOID QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
>> WHY ARE SO MANY DOCTORS
AFRAID OF THIS?>> A FEW MONTHS
AGO, WE TRACKED DOWN 4@THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PHP,
BOB.4@4@
BOB.4@4@
BOB.4@4@ HE ALSO REFUSED TO ANSWE4@R ANY
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. THESE DAYS, BOB SURVIVES 4@ON 4@
SOCIAL SECURITY.
SOCIAL SECURITY. >> ALL MY SAVINGS WERE USED UP.
I LOST MY FARM, IN MY 4@HOME.
>> HE WAS FORCED TO LIVE IN
SQUALOR.
SQUALOR.
SQUALOR. >> I HAVE TO USE A MECHANICAL 4@
TOILET OUTSIDE.
TOILET OUTSIDE. >> A CAREER DEDICATED TO CARING
FOR OTHERS IS 4@GONE FOR GOOD.>
I THINK IF IT WERE NOT FROM A
FAITH AS 4@A CHRISTIAN, I THINK
WOULD HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE.
>> BOB SAYS EVENTUALLY HE 4@DID
FIND4@ TREATMENT FOR HIS
DEPRESSION, BUT HE HAD TO DO IT
ON HIS OWN AFTER THE PHP
DROPPED HIM.
DROPPED HIM. SINCE OUR FIRST INVESTIGATION,
SEVERAL STATES HAVE TAKEN
ACTION TO INSTALL MORE
OVERSIGHT OVER THERE PHP'S.
MASSACHUSETTS IS PLANNING AN
AUDIT OF ITS OWN PROGRAM IN
LOUISIANA AND COLORADO HAVE
ALSO BEEN DISCUSSING CHANGES IN
LOUISIANA AND COLORADO HAVE ALSO BEEN DISCUSSING CHANGES IN@
THE LEGISLATURE.
THE LEGISLATURE. >> TO HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT
US TO LOOK INTO?
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