Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5399, introduced by the gentleman from Tennessee, Dr. Roe. This bill would ensure that physicians of the Department of Veterans Affairs fulfill the ethical duty to report impaired, incompetent, and unethical healthcare activities of their colleagues. I appreciate the gentleman bringing this issue to our attention. It is another instance of the many ethical and legal imperatives that VA physicians are under while serving those who have dedicated themselves to protect our freedoms. All physicians have a duty to report impaired colleagues who continue to practice, despite reasonable offers of assistance. This obligation appears in professional guidelines and in laws and regulations governing the practice of medicine. All physicians are accredited by the American Medical Association, and their policy states, and I quote: ``Physicians have an ethical obligation to report impaired, incompetent, and unethical colleagues.'' The Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States' policy on physician impairment states that physician health programs have ``a primary commitment to help state medical boards . . . protect the public . . .…”