Doctor: Peer Reviewer Should Ask Questions

To The Editor:
I read the March 3 article you wrote regarding the Feb. 3 Herald story on the Medical Staff election at Cape Regional Medical Center, and I beg to disagree with the individual who did the “peer review” evaluation. As far as I am concerned, he is guilty of the same thing that he accused your reporter of doing, not getting both sides of the story before coming to a conclusion.
If Jay Langley, retired executive editor of the Hunterdon Democrat, were a resident of this county, he would know that my reputation and that of the Cape Heart Clinic is as trusted or even more trusted that that of the medical center.
I take offense to his characterization of me as a “disgruntled” physician. This is totally false. I am one of the area’s most successful, well-liked by my patients, innovative and self-confident doctors in this community. I am certainly not disgruntled and I stand by the comments I made in the story.
Regarding flaws in the election, two of the most respected doctors in the hospital were discouraged from participating in the election. Dr. AB wanted to nominate me for vice president but feared a cut in referrals from those in Dr. CD’s camp. Similarly, Dr. EF wanted to run for executive committee but was told the election was already a “done deal” and to try again in two years.
Is this not corruption of the election process?
In the future, perhaps the election of medical staff officers and the hospital’s board of directors should be entrusted to the hands of the citizens of Cape May County instead of a few in a select “clique” of physicians.
I also disagree with Langley’s characterization that telling the “bald truth” is not a defense. In my opinion, truth is truth whether it is bald, ugly or otherwise.
Langley suggests that the newspaper and the hospital should be cozy. I disagree. I believe both parties should serve the people of this county the best they can with the hospital healing them and the newspaper telling them if the hospital is failing to heal them. If the two parties disagree at times, so be it.
If Langley is interested in hearing the whole story, I will be happy to discuss this matter in a public forum with hospital officials with him as a moderator.
In the near future, I will show that the conflict of interests at the hospital has resulted in poor patient care. If the hospital administration believes in the truth, and promises me no legal retaliation, I would like to give them permission to release to the press and the people of this county all of my letters to them regarding patient care at the hospital.
DR. SUKETU NANAVATI
Court House
(ED. NOTE: Names of the three physicians mentioned in this letter were deleted by the newspaper. The initials used have no relationship to their names.)