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         1             NEVADA STATE BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS

         2                          BOARD MEETING

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         4                             --oOo--

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        11                    TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS

        12                        October 6th, 1999

        13                           Reno, Nevada

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             REPORTED BY:             STEPHANIE KOETTING, CCR #207, RPR

        25                            Computer-Aided Transcription

    

                         DISCOVERY REPORTING (775) 329-3500

                                                                   

 

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        1   APPEARANCES:

            

         2   Board Members present

             in Reno:                      SUSAN BUCHWALD, MD

         3                                 JACULINE JONES, Ed.D

                                           CHERYL HUG-ENGLISH, MD

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             Also present in Reno:         LARRY LESSLY, ESQ.

         5                                 Executive Director

                                           1105 Terminal Way

         6                                 Reno, Nevada

                           

         7                                 MAUREEN LYONS

                                           Deputy Executive Director

         8                                 1105 Terminal Way

                                           Reno, Nevada

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             Board Members present

        10   in Las Vegas:                 DONALD BAEPLER, Ph.D.

                                           PAUL STEWART, MD

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             Also Present in Las Vegas:    RICHARD LEGARZA, ESQ.

        12                                 Nevada State Board of

                                           Medical Examiners

        13                                 1105 Terminal Way

                                           Reno, Nevada

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                                           LESLIE NIELSEN, ESQ.    

        15                                 Deputy Attorney General 

                                           555 E. Washington Ave.

        16                                 Las Vegas, Nevada

            

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                         DISCOVERY REPORTING (775) 329-3500

 

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         1       DATED: At Reno, Nevada, October 6th, 1999, 4:00 p.m.

         2                             --oOo--

         3            

         4             DR. BUCHWALD:  We do have a transcriber here, so

         5   I would ask you to say who you are when you are discussing

         6   anything.  And also there is a delay somewhat on the phone. 

         7   So if you would take that into consideration when we are

         8   discussing these issues.

         9             MR. LEGARZA:  Dr. Buchwald, you have hopefully

        10   the original of a proposed acceptance of the surrender

        11   while under investigation of Dr. Savery's license.  Has

        12   that been presented to you?

        13             DR. BUCHWALD:  Yes, I have it, too.  Let me

        14   introduce the case, so the transcriptionist can get that. 

        15   And the item number two is Consideration of Acceptance of

        16   Voluntary Surrender of License While Under Investigation of

        17   Francois L. Savery, S-a-v-e-r-y, case number 99-4727-1.

        18             Does everybody in the south have a copy of the

        19   stipulation?

        20             DR. STEWART:  Yes.

        21             DR. BUCHWALD:  Does anybody up here not have one? 

        22             Mr. Legarza, do you wish to discuss this?

        23             MR. LEGARZA:  The only thing I would say, Doctor,

        24   is you have a copy of the voluntary surrender, plus

        25   everyone has a copy of the complaint filed against Dr.

                         DISCOVERY REPORTING (775) 329-3500

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         1   Savery.  And the Board, as you know, pursuant to the

         2   regulations, must accept a surrender while under

         3   investigation.  And there's a proposed order in front of

         4   you so there needs to be an approval of the four available

         5   adjudicating members who are Dr. Buchwald, Dr. Hug-English,

         6   Dr. Stewart and Dr. Baepler in order to accept this

         7   proposed surrender of his license.

         8             I'll answer any questions if anyone has any.

         9             DR. BUCHWALD:  First, I'd like to ask if any -- I

        10   can see hands here in the north, but in the south, does Dr.

        11   Stewart or Dr. Baepler have any questions in regards to

        12   this surrender?

        13             DR. BAEPLER:  This is Baepler.  No.

        14             DR. BUCHWALD:  Paul?

        15             DR. STEWART:  Was Dr. Savery represented by any

        16   counsel?

        17             MR. LEGARZA:  Yes, Dr. Savery was represented by

        18   counsel.

        19             DR. STEWART:  Dr. Savery through counsel

        20   understands what this means to him?

        21             MR. LEGARZA:  I can't  --

        22             DR. STEWART:  What we believe, the counseling, he

        23   has had counsel so he has had a chance to understand what

        24   it means?

        25             MR. LEGARZA:  In my opinion, he certainly, if his

                         DISCOVERY REPORTING (775) 329-3500

 

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         1   lawyer is any good, the Doctor should understand what it

         2   means.

         3             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Hug-English?

         4             DR. HUG-ENGLISH:  I have no questions.

         5             DR. BUCHWALD:  And I have no questions.  So we

         6   are open for a motion.

         7             DR. STEWART:  Dr. Stewart moves to accept.

         8             DR. HUG-ENGLISH:  I second that.

         9             DR. BUCHWALD:  Then I will take a roll call vote

        10   for the acceptance of the voluntary surrender of license by

        11   Dr. Savery.  Dr. Stewart?

        12             DR. STEWART:  Yes.

        13             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Baepler?

        14             DR. BAEPLER:  Yes.

        15             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Hug-English?

        16             DR. HUG-ENGLISH:  Yes.

        17             DR. BUCHWALD:  And I also vote in favor of that

        18   motion.  So that passes and we will accept the surrender of

        19   that license.

        20                             --oOo--

        21              DR. BUCHWALD:  On to issue number three.  This

        22   is the Consideration for Acceptance of a Stipulation for a

        23   Settlement in the Matter of the State Board Versus Rodney

        24   L. Handsfield, H-a-n-d-s-f-i-e-l-d, case number 99-9489-1.

        25             Again, the adjudicating members are Dr. Stewart,

                         DISCOVERY REPORTING (775) 329-3500

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         1   Dr. Baepler, Dr. Hug-English and myself.

         2             Mr. Legarza, do you wish to say anything?

         3             MR. LEGARZA:  If I may, Doctor.  Everyone has a

         4   copy of the complaint.  You do have a proposed order in

         5   front of you.  The complaint which is simply that Dr.

         6   Handsfield is unable to practice medicine with reasonable

         7   skill and safety because of illness, either mental or

         8   physical or both.

         9             Dr. Handsfield was prior to the filing of this

        10   complaint, which was in June of 1999, Dr. Handsfield had

        11   entered into a stipulation with the investigative committee

        12   to not practice medicine until such time as Dr. Handsfield

        13   went off and was -- had met with and had an evaluation.  He

        14   did that.  The evaluation came in.  And in the March

        15   meeting, the investigative committee, the meeting that was

        16   held in Carson City, the investigative committee authorized

        17   me to pay the remainder of the bill owed to the evaluator,

        18   Dr. O'Connor, in the amount of $2,640.00, which the Board

        19   did pay.  We got that report.  And subsequent to that, the

        20   investigative committee filed a formal complaint because

        21   the Doctor would not stipulate to not practice medicine

        22   pending a resolution of something by the Board.

        23             This case has been negotiated.  This case has

        24   been negotiated with the requirement that Dr. Handsfield's

        25   license be suspended until further order of the Board and

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         1   he be required to petition the Board for reinstatement for

         2   licensure as a physician in the State of Nevada.

         3             And the stipulation further requires him to go to

         4   Talbot Marsh Recovery Center in Atlanta, Georgia and there

         5   remain for however long that takes and then follow the

         6   recommendation of Talbot Marsh with respect to any further

         7   follow-up and/or further inpatient treatment.

         8             Dr. Handsfield has a history of going off and

         9   leaving ANA.  The diversion program has been working with

        10   me real strongly on this.  Talbot Marsh has been working

        11   with us very strongly on this.  Dr. Handsfield attempted, I

        12   believe, to simply go back for a 96-hour evaluation.  We

        13   said:  No way.  We won't settle under those terms and

        14   conditions.  My representation to you is he is there, I

        15   believe.  I believe he is still there.  He has been there

        16   for about ten days.  The investigative committee has

        17   approved the settlement and I recommend to you that you

        18   approve it as well. 

        19             DR. BUCHWALD:  Is there any discussion from the

        20   south?  Dr. Stewart?

        21             DR. BAEPLER:  Dr. Baepler.

        22             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Baepler.  I'm sorry.

        23             DR. BAEPLER:  Is he aware of the action that we

        24   will probably take today?

        25             MR. LEGARZA:  No.  Dr. Handsfield has not been

                         DISCOVERY REPORTING (775) 329-3500

 

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         1   notified that we will do this today.  The stipulation for

         2   settlement specifically says that I'll be presenting it to

         3   the Board, that he will not be notified of it, that the

         4   Board will either approve the settlement or go back for

         5   hearing.

         6             DR. BAEPLER:  Okay.

         7             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Stewart, do you have any

         8   comments?

         9             DR. STEWART:  I have no comments, no questions.

        10             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Hug-English?

        11             DR. HUG-ENGLISH:  No questions.

        12             DR. BUCHWALD:  And I have no questions.

        13             The floor is open for a motion.

        14             DR. HUG-ENGLISH:  I move that we accept the

        15   stipulated settlement for suspension of Dr. Handsfield's

        16   license.

        17             DR. BUCHWALD:  I would like to add that it would

        18   be the stipulation as entered on page three of those

        19   criteria specifically.

        20             DR. HUG-ENGLISH:  Correct.  Those additional

        21   criteria.

        22             DR. BUCHWALD:  Is there a second?

        23             DR. BAEPLER:  This is Donald Baepler.  I'll

        24   second it.

        25             DR. BUCHWALD:  Again, we'll have a roll call

                         DISCOVERY REPORTING (775) 329-3500

 

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         1   vote.

         2             Dr. Stewart?

         3             DR. STEWART:  Vote to accept.

         4             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Baepler?

         5             DR. BAEPLER:  Yes.

         6             DR. BUCHWALD:  Dr. Hug-English?

         7             DR. HUG-ENGLISH:  Yes.

         8             DR. BUCHWALD:  And I also vote in favor of the

         9   stipulation.

        10             MR. LEGARZA:  Thank you.

        11             DR. BUCHWALD:  Thank you.

        12                             --oOo--

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        14             I, Stephanie Koetting, CCR #207, do hereby

        15   certify that the foregoing transcript, consisting of pages

        16   1 through 9, is true and correct to the best of my

        17   knowledge, skill and ability.

        18             DATED: This 12th day of October, 1999.

        19             _________________________________

                       STEPHANIE KOETTING, CCR #207

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