Washington State
Medical Quality Assurance Commission
[Top]
[Response] [Response to Defendant]
Patient Report Form
Department of Health
Medical Quality Assurance Commission
P.O. Box 47866
Olympia, WA 98504
Your Name: Gary Burlingame
Address: ---------------
City: ------------- State: WA Zip: -----
Phone: Work (---) -------- Home (---)
--------
Report Information
Please complete the following information concerning the
physician against whom you wish to register this report. The following
information would help avoid delay in processing your report. Please supply as
much information as you can on this form. Thank you.
Name of Physician (s):
Richard McClenahan, M.D.
Address: 3015 Squalicum Parkway Suite 120
Bellingham, WA 98225
Dates or time period you received treatment, service, or other.
Have you discussed your report with the physician or his/her
office/business?
No
Please state your concerns in the space provided below. Please
be as specific and complete as possible. You may attach additional sheets if
necessary. You will receive an acknowledgment letter once your report is
received.
According to the enclosed letter that I received January
19, 2000, Dr. McClenahan is continuing to circumcise infants.
I accuse Dr. McClenahan of unprofessional conduct as defined in RCW 18.130.180
(16) "Promotion for personal gain of any unnecessary or inefficacious
drug, device, treatment, procedure, or service."
Dr. McClenahan says he doesn't circumcise infants for personal gain, but when
he receives payment for it then he promoting it.
I accuse Dr. McClenahan of unprofessional conduct as defined in RCW
18.130.180 (24) "Abuse of a client or patient or sexual contact with a
client or patient."
Cutting a patient's penis is both sexual, to the child if not to Dr. McClenahan,
and abuse. It is abuse when it is not done for strictly medical reasons, after
all less extreme measures have failed. Amputation is not the standard of care
for healthy sex" tissue.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics says that
physicians have legal and ethical duties to their child patients to render
competent medical care based on what the patient needs, not what someone
else (such as a parent) expresses. (Committee on Bioethics. Informed Consent,
Parental Permission, and Assent in Pediatric Practice. Pediatrics, Feb. 1995,
vol 95: 314-317.) Further, it is not possible to get informed consent for
circumcision, because informed parental permission, according to the Committee
on Bioethics, allows for medical interventions only in situations of clear and
immediate medical necessity, such as disease, trauma, or deformity.
Clearly this is not the case for circumcisions being done merely "to
fulfill the wishes of some parents".
If this physician does not advocate for nor recommend circumcision for one of
his "patients", then he obviously is not doing them for medical
reasons, and in that case it is called criminal assault.
Please tell me how you will ensure that this physician will not circumcise
any more unconsenting infants.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Gary G. Burlingame
[Top]
[Complaint] [Response to Defendant]
STATE OF
WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
1300 SE Quince St • P.O. Box 47866 •
Olympia, WA 98504-7866
February 24, 2000
Gary G Burlingame
[address]
Dear Mr Burlingame:
The Medical Quality Assurance Commission reviewed your report in regard to an
allegation of promoting circumcision for personal gain.
The nature of your report does fall within the Medical Quality Assurance
Commission authority under the Uniform Disciplinary Act (RCW
18.130.180) -
Unprofessional Conduct. Due to limited resources the Medical Quality Assurance
Commission is unable to pursue your report in accordance with specific criteria
established for cases which are to be investigated. The case has been
closed.
You may wish to pursue your report with another organization or agency. Dr
McClenahan will also be advised of the nature of the report.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. If we may be of further
assistance to you or answer any questions, please feel free to contact this
office at (360) 236-4888
Sincerely,
[signed]
Maryella Jansen, Program Manager
Medical Quality Assurance Commission
RPT038.doc 2/24/00
[Top]
[Complaint]
[Response]
STATE OF
WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
1300 SE Quince St • P.O. Box 47866 •
Olympia, WA 98504-7866
February 24, 2000
Richard F. McClenahan, MD
3015 Squalicum Parkway
Suite 120
Bellingham, WA 98225
SUBJECT: Richard F.
McClenahan, MD
Case Number 00-01-0053MD
Dear Dr. McClenahan:
The Medical Quality Assurance Commission received a report in
regard to unprofessional conduct. The Commission is mandated by law to review
all alleged violations of the Uniform Disciplinary Act (RCW
18.130.180) -
Unprofessional Conduct.
The report was assessed based upon criteria established by the
Medical Quality Assurance Commission. The assessment did not identify issues of
medical quality that would justify a detailed investigation. The report file has
been closed.
The following statements outline the legislative mandates under
which the Commission must deal with requests for disclosure. The existence of
this report is not releasable through the automated voice response system nor
over the telephone. However, the report is subject to written public disclosure
requests. (RCW 18.130.095 and
Chapter 42.17
RCW). If you wish, you may submit a
written statement for the file which will also become part of the information
provided in response to a public disclosure request
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel
free to contact this office at (360) 236-4888.
Sincerely,
Maryella Jansen, Program Manager
Medical Quality Assurance Commission
RPT026.doc 2/24/00
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[Response] [Response to Defendant]
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