PAX Centurion - May / June 2013

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • May/June 2013 • Page 37 ible scenario then the wife of a first responder would not be entitled to a confidential session with her doctor if she were having stress related to her husband’s response to the bombing. The BPHC would receive her personal information including complaint and treatment, then intervene in her legitimate care decisions and “coordinate her care” without her knowledge or consent. This would also be the case, if the BPHC had their way, even if the patient were a member of the City Council, the Mayor, the Governor, the President of the United States or their respective family members. It is in no way unreasonable to have reached the conclusion that the BPHC’s position on this issue is not credible, just as it is equally not credible for them to maintain this position. The intended result of this scheme, had it not unraveled due to the BPHC Medical Intelligence Center’s inability to keep the information confidential, would have also been a “registry” or list of individuals. Those on this list would have appeared on it without their knowledge or consent. The list would not have included all of the “victims of the Marathon bombings” but rather only those that had already sought treatment within the networks of hospitals contacted and not those that seek treatment in the future. Secretive lists of individuals have not been considered to be the hallmark of good government here in the United States from its very beginnings and certainly would not be acceptable in a state in which the Governor recently and proudly proclaimed that “Massachusetts inventedAmerica.” Despite this reality, the BPHC continues to claim justification, no matter how incredulous that claim may be, for the attempt. The media reports that the intrusive attempt has been rescinded by the BPHC. Our legal team awaits actual evidence to this effect. The disposition of records already received remains as an unresolved issue. The actual result of this reckless scheme was that confidence in the legitimate healthcare process was undermined to such an extent that some who were seeking treatment and counseling will no longer seek that help and those that have yet to will never seek help. The potential destruction of the sacrosanct confidential patient/doctor relationship should have never been overlooked or marginalized by an entity known as the Boston PUBLIC HEALTH Commission. But it was. And some of the “victims” will continue to suffer because of it. The lack of confidence by this membership in the BPHC is now being characterized as being caused by the BPPA EMS Division leadership. This characterization comes despite the fact that these issues were solely perpetrated under the control and direction of BPHC and without the knowledge of this union, its leadership, or its members. And this occurred during a time when, consistent with the opinion of a contemporary and well respectedAmerican diplomat, the BPHC exceeded both examples of the definition of “failure in leadership.” If the BPHC would like to refute our stated position of no confidence with the concepts of an equally well respectedAmerican leader, that are the inverse of Powell’s definition of failure in leader- ship, we would certainly give those concepts their due diligence. On behalf of this Association I wish the BPHC good luck and Godspeed in the quest. But in the interim the BPHC should make every attempt to claim ownership of the problem and make every attempt to correct it. As the BPHC continues to ignore the problems, ones that they themselves created, they continue to take failures in leadership to new levels. Declaration of Homestead Protect your residence! If you own a home, call us today to find out how you can protect your property up to $500,000.00 Don Green Law Office of Donald E. Green (A full service law firm) 2235 Washington Street Roxbury, MA 02119 (617) 442-0050 toll free (877) DON-GREEN As we have over the past 30 years, we offer a discounted fee to police officers Don Green Annette Hill Green We Support the BPPA! United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Carpenters Local 33 Boston, Massachusetts 1232 Massachusetts Avenue Dorchester, MA 02125 617-350-0014 John P. Murphy, Jr. Business Reprresentative Richard Scaramozza Business Reprresentative Executive Board John P. Murphy, Jr.. ........................President Thomas J. McLean....... Financial Secretary James Cronin.......................... Vice President Matthew Montanino..................... Treasurer Richard W. Trahan....Recording Secretary Richard Scaramozza......................... Trustee Thomas R. Fordham............................ Trustee Peter McLaughlin. ............................ Trustee Robert Cheesman. ....................... Conductor Daniel Flynn....................................... Warden