Jackson Jambalaya

The moment they started typing up this memo, they lost the argument! Anonymous comments on JJ shouldn't have solicited this reaction.

Exhibit #49,227 why Mississippi will always first in what's worst, and last in what's best. This board is tone-deaf and clueless as to how little confidence the public has in them.

He botched a surgery on my spouse (a physician), requiring a second procedure. I am also a physician, and neither of was was surprised to learn he lost his surgical privileges apparently everywhere. This is a major red flag to anyone except, apparently, the board.

They didn't hire him to do surgery, something for which he actually has experience (though some may debate his skill level. They hired him as an administrator, some for which he has absolutely zero experience. To me, that is the real problem, not the malpractice lawsuits.

Did they mention he lost his surgical privileges and ran a defunk diet center in the letter? I lost interest and ended up skimming it.

11:46, maybe you don't realize it but there are other outlets in the area, not everyone limits their information to JJ. Realize you are the proverbial a**kisser of KF that jumps every chance you get to tout him as the one and only - but information regarding Dr. Cleveland and the Medical Board has been reported elsewhere.

Feel better?

The Board is probably responding to the "state newspaper"'s story this weekend.

Perhaps Dr. Cleveland should release his employment records.

@12:06 you are so right! The majority of physicians don't have confidence in our Board. But I don't know whether it's that the Board can't see the same red flags as everyone else, or if it's more because some of the headstrong members of the Board want someone that they can control as their puppet -- even if unqualified.

The reason doesn't really matter though. In the end it's simply a hire that doesn't do anything to dispel the expectation of continued ill-fated, shortsighted decision-making exemplified by the same Board who hired their former Executive Director, John Hall, and finally (thankfully) were forced to terminate him less than two years later. The same Board that can't draft prescription regulations that protect the public while also being safe and practical for physicians to implement. Perhaps it's really too much to expect physicians to be competent regulators in addition to practicing medicine.

1:29 has the right of it.

Physicians are not business people or administrators, nor do they have any business policing their own. They should stick to what they went to school for: taking care of patients.

But I guess in a state with the worst physician shortage in the country they can call their own shots.

12:44 PM, I read the Clarion (much to my chagrin) everyday. I didn't notice a story featuring Ken Cleveland of any note. It definitely wasn't as featured as on this site. It should be no surprise that JJ is widely read and highly influential. Let's not play dumb here...and by the way, you're here after all aren't you? ;)

8:07 is right! Were it not for JJ I would not be able to recognize storefronts, street signs or cars. I thank God every day, therefore, for this blog.

If the Board wants to be "transparent," they should publish a list of all applicants.

What does this mean: "However, it is not within the purview of the MSBML to determine the outcome of a civil lawsuit filed in a court of law?"

This is patently ridiculous.

DID THE BOARD LOOK INTO THE NATIONAL PRACTITIONERS' DATA BANK? Surely this IS in their PURVIEW.

MSBML bunker mentality. Easterling dreams of being a dictator.

Guy commenting at 3:11 AM: (1) does not have job (2) ran out of free clicks at the Clarion Ledger (3) takes it out on JJ

Look, it's the board of medical licensure, so it's only fair they have a director whose license probably deserves to be taken away. Gotta hear from both sides.

Hey, Docs! Unite, throw off your chains and be free!

You guy/gals have more power than you understand. I don't understand why you don't get together and stop this appointment?

Call the Board (and Board members) and COMPLAIN loudly. Call Dr. Miles, Claude Brunson, Randy Easterling, etc. It seems to me that physicians can't be "policed" by a Board that has NO TRANSPARENCY. They can fire him yesterday with not being truthful about his career. In fact, they don't need any reason whatsoever to fire him.

It appears from posts here that the Board knew nothing about Dr. Cleveland's background regarding his malpractice suits, investigation at Baptist Hospital, ?loss of malpractice insurance, etc.

However, it seems that once they DID know they don’t care and won’t fire him.

If I were a physician, I would DEMAND that the Board “splain” itself and its "vetting" procedures. I would demand it publish a list of the other candidates.

This appointment only leaves a giant omelet on the face of the Board. It appears to not know what it is doing, or just doesn't care about the quality of its Executive Director.

I know that docs can rally themselves in issues such as smoking, vaccines, lead in water, obesity, etc.

What I don't understand is why this powerful group of educated and generally respected professionals are mostly remaining silent on this middle-finger to their own professionalism.

(I also don't understand why the Board members who are appointed to represent the general public haven't had their hands held to the fire by this appointment. ( Surely they don't think they're "protecting" patients with the appointment of such a dubious physician.)

If physicians care about their profession and their patients, they should make their voices known, loudly and clearly.

Hey, docs and patients! Here are the phone numbers I found in the White Pages. Call. Complain. Question!!!

Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure---601-987-3079
Randy Easterling, MD--601-831-2457
Claude Brunson, MD--601-984-1012 office
General Erik Hearon, (consumer advocate)--
Virginia Crawford, MD 601-261-1500
Charles Miles, MD 662-327-8924 office
Ann Rea, MD--(662-328-7123 office
Kenneth Lippincott, MD 662-690-4305 office
William Mayo, DO 662-234-3937-office
Wesley Breland (consumer advocate)--601-606-3328
William McClendon, MD 228-244-9910 office
Michelle Owens, MD 601-815-9114 office

To quote admiral Ackbar “it’s a trap”.