A young student in Camden County, GA reportedly had a life-threatening choking emergency on a school bus -- the school district refused to answer my questions about the child's condition, so I filed an investigation request with the state DOE; a week later I still haven't gotten any answers

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A couple weeks ago, multiple stories by Jacksonville, FL TV news stations reported a dramatic lifesaving rescue of a young student at a south Georgia public school district who had choked on a quarter while riding home on a school bus.

Having tracked a number of similar cases, I noted that missing from all the stories was any details about the victim, including the child's medical condition, so I made best attempts to learn more from the Camden County Georgia school district.

To my surprise, the district refused to disclose whether the reported victim was in good health and had received proper medical care; refused to provide the name of the bus driver (presumably public information); refused to forward my inquiry to the parents or guardian of the reported victim; and refused to answer any other questions.

I considered the district's response to be irregular, so on December 6, I sent the investigation request below to Georgia Department of Education Superintendent Richard Woods. (Click here to download a copy.)

Since a child's health was involved, I assumed Mr. Woods would be concerned and that I'd receive a fast reply.

But more than a week later, I haven't received any assurance that the reported victim received proper medical care and is in good health.

Since I'm at an impasse, I'm posting/circulating this item, and will report the results.

Fact-checking my sister, author & former journalist Janet Heimlich of Austin, TX

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Via the posted comments under Detainee dies after choking on food in Saitama police station cell, Japan Today, November 5, 2018: 

Janet Heimlich Nov. 8 05:15 pm JST

My father, Dr. Henry Heimlich, invented the Heimlich maneuver. He passed away in 2016. He would have been distraught to hear of this case, not only because no one attempted to save the man with the Heimlich maneuver but because they used back blows, which, unsurprisingly were unsuccessful. Unlike the American Heart Association, the Red Cross tells people to use back blows as a first response for choking. The say to administer 5 back blows and then 5 Heimlich maneuvers (or "abdominal thrusts.") The trouble is, the Red Cross has never produced evidence that shows back blows are superior to the Heimlich maneuver, while the maneuver saves people's lives every day, according to press reports. One study shows that back blows can drive an object deeper into the throat. Furthermore, with the Red Cross focusing so much on back blows, no one learns that they can also use the Heimlich maneuver to save yourself (as someone above pointed out) or an unconscious or heavy person (you do that lying down). You can't use back blows to accomplish either of those things. The Red Cross should take this life-and-death matter more seriously and go back to teaching people to first use the Heimlich maneuver when someone is choking. Since a person can die in 4 minutes, seconds count.

Peter M. Heimlich Nov. 9 01:12 am JST

I caught a factual error and a half-truth in my sister Janet Heimlich's post. I've also posted links to a first-rate 2009 Australian Broadcasting documentary re: the history of our father's namesake anti-choking treatment and a thought-provoking recent blog item by a U.S. cardiologist.

The American Heart Association (and most first aid agencies worldwide) recommend back blows as an effective treatment for responding to a choking emergency. More via this page on my website http://tinyurl.com/hnuxyxs "One study shows that back blows can drive an object deeper into the throat."

Janet -- a former journalist who edited our dad's 2014 memoir http://tinyurl.com/yau8h6nd -- is presumably referring to the now-tainted study by the late Richard Day L. MD et al of Yale published by the journal Pediatrics in 1982.

Research by my wife Karen M. Shulman and me revealed that our dad, the late Henry J. Heimlich MD, clandestinely funded the study.

Prior to 2005, AHA guidelines included citations of the Day study. That year I shared our research with Jerry Potts, PhD, Director of Science at the AHA's ECC Programs. The citation has not appeared in subsequent AHA guidelines.

Because of the Yale connection, I also shared our research with veteran medical reporter Abram Katz at the New Haven Register which resulted in this 10/23/06 report http://tinyurl.com/zvesjs9

Also see this 6/7/82 thank-you letter from dad to Dr. Day which I obtained from the Yale archives http://tinyurl.com/j3n8jbk "The Heimlich manoeuvre" by Aviva Ziegler, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 7/27/09 http://tinyurl.com/y92fwr6w "A Call To Reconsider The Heimlich Experiment: Let’s Scientifically Determine The Best Approach To Choking Victims" by Anthony Pearson MD, The Skeptical Cardiologist (Dr. Pearson's blog), 8/15/18 http://tinyurl.com/ybnxkqvs 


BelCanto Nov. 9 12:26 pm JST

I'm liking where this comment section is going! 


Peter M. Heimlich Nov. 13 10:51 am JST

Via European Resuscitation Council Guidelines, Resuscitation 95 (2015) 1–80 http://goo.gl/RpE76u

...The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR, www.ilcor.org) includes representatives from the American Heart Association (AHA), the European Resuscitation Council (ERC), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC), the Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR), the Resuscitation Council of Southern Africa (RCSA), the Inter-American Heart Foundation (IAHF), and the Resuscitation Council of Asia (RCA).

...Treatment for severe airway obstruction

For conscious adults and children over one year of age with complete FBAO [Foreign Body Airway Obstruction], case reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of back blows or ‘slaps’, abdominal thrusts and chest thrusts. The likelihood of success is increased when combinations of back blows or slaps, and abdominal and chest thrusts are used.

Quoting "liberal commentator" Bill Maher, my brother Phil Heimlich says his fellow Evangelical Christians' support for President Trump "exposes us as the shameless hypocrites we've always been." [UPDATED]

Here's the run up...

Via Heimlich maneuvers to 'radical middle' by Jason Williams, Cincinnati Enquirer, January 14, 2017: 

Phil Heimlich was the politician he's come to despise.

"I regret not showing more courage," he told Politics Extra.

It's a harsh reality Heimlich has come to grips with since he left public office 10 years ago this month.

...Heimlich, 64, has never come back to politics since that bruising and brutally expensive 2006 loss to Democrat David Pepper in the commissioner's race. Heimlich has no plans to come back, but the Republican still loves to talk politics.

Heimlich: Come on fellow Republicans, do something about Trump, Cincinnati Enquirer, June 28, 2017.

Heimlich: Republicans are sabotaging Obamacare, Cincinnati Enquirer, July 27, 2017.

Republican Heimlich: Why I am voting for Democrats this year, Cincinnati Enquirer, June 14, 2018.

Former Republican county commissioner (Phil Heimlich) blasts (Republican Congressman Steve) Chabot as he endorses Democrat (Aftab) Pureval by Chris Wetterich, Cincinnati Business Courier, October 11, 2018.

...and here's the coup de grâce.

Clip from 'He can stop everything': Hundreds rally against Trump's new AG, fear Russia probe in jeopardy by Max Londberg, Cincinnati Enquirer, November 8, 2018:

Phil: Just to fully give you my kind of priorities. I'm also what you'd call an Evangelical. I'm a Christ follower. But...and I got something to say to my fellow Evangelicals. And I'll quote the words of a commentator, a liberal commentator. But I'll quote him but it's true. What he said was, and I agree, "Our support for Donald Trump exposes us as the shameless hypocrites we've always been."

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11/16/18 UPDATE: Hat tip to an attentive reader who informed me that in 2009 Maher was the recipient of the Atheist Alliance of America's Richard Dawkins Award.

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Western NY schools superintendent blocks employees, board members from communicating with me re: purchase of controversial anti-choking device, so I've asked the state education commissioner for guidance

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A couple weeks ago I blogged, Olean, NY-area* school principal arranged purchase, installation, staff training of controversial anti-choking plunger device -- has he also received sales commissions?

In response to my subsequent reporting, a few days ago Tony Giannicchi, the district's superintendent of schools sent me a two-page letter that included:

Please be advised that District employees and Board members will not respond to any further communication from you, with the exception of requests for (public records)... 

That put me in a bind.

Here's why.

Via Dechokers at A-L expected to keep kids safe by staff reporter Kate Day Sager, Olean Times Herald, October 5, 2018:

(Tim) Hite, a professional firefighter, now promotes the Dechoker life-saving medical device which is used to suction objects from the airways of toddlers, children and adults.

Recently, Hite sold several sets of the Dechokers to the Allegany-Limestone Central School District, the first school district in the state to purchase the items.

Per a letter I received about three years ago, it's unclear if the Dechoker is approved by the New York State Department of Education.

From the same Times Herald article:

(Allegany-Limestone) Middle-High School Principal Cory Pecorella said the school district purchased two packages of the suction devices for each of the campuses.

...Pecorella said he learned of the device from Hite, whom he serves with in the Allegany Volunteer Fire Department.

“(Hite) contacted me and wanted to demonstrate the product for us,” Pecorella said. “We bought right into it.

Per my blog, it's unclear if Mr. Pecorella and Mr. Hite have a business relationship.

Finally, according to this recent interview conducted by reporter Amanda Gilbert (KWWL-TV, the Waterloo, IA NBC affiliate) with David Stilley MD, Medical Director at Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services, the Dechoker is of unproven benefit and safety.



(The interview was conducted for her May 31, 2018 report, Heimlich alternative? KWWL investigates new medical device offered to Iowa school.)

Those concerns seemed like reasonable grounds on which to request an investigation in order to determine if the Allegany-Limestone school's purchase and implementation of the devices was in compliance with applicable guidelines.

My problem? I don't know the appropriate office where to file that and per Superintendent Giannicchi's letter, if I ask him or another district employee or the school board how to proceed, they're prohibited from responding.

The only option I could think of was to request guidance from New York State Commissioner of Education MaryEllen Elia -- see below. (Click here to download a copy.)

If/when I receive a reply, I'll report the results.



* My original headline began "Olean, NY school principal..." H/T to a knowledgeable reader who informed me "Allegany-Limestone Central Schools are not Olean schools. The two districts abut each other, but are separate," so I changed to "Olean, NY-area."

Olean, NY-area* school principal arranged purchase, installation, staff training of controversial anti-choking plunger device -- has he also received sales commissions? [UPDATE: Responses from NY State Sen. Catharine Young & Assemblyman Joseph Giglio]

UPDATE, 10/29/18: Per my item below, in an 8/24/18 e-mail, Olean, NY fireman/Dechoker vendor Timothy Hite claimed he had an 8/30/18 meeting scheduled with NY State Sen. Catharine Young & Assemblyman Joseph Giglio "to start writing legislation to make it mandatory for all eatery areas to have a Dechoker (anti-choking plunger device), kind of like NY did for first aid and CPR." 

In response to my inquiries, today Sen. Young's spokesman John Eberth left me a voice message and Assemblyman Giglio sent me an e-mail. Both confirmed the meeting took place but that no legislation is pending.

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Via Dechokers at A-L expected to keep kids safe by staff reporter Kate Day Sager, Olean Times Herald, October 5, 2018:

(Tim) Hite, a professional firefighter, now promotes the Dechoker life-saving medical device which is used to suction objects from the airways of toddlers, children and adults.

Recently, Hite sold several sets of the Dechokers to the Allegany-Limestone Central School District, the first school district in the state to purchase the items.

Middle-High School Principal Cory Pecorella said the school district purchased two packages of the suction devices for each of the campuses. Each package contains three Dechokers in adult, youth and toddler sizes. The packages will be kept in the nurse’s office and the cafeteria.

...“What it does is it replaces the abdominal thrust” which was previously referred to as the Heimlich maneuver, Hite explained. “It creates a negative pressure in the mouth area as you pull back and it forces the object out in reverse.”

...Pecorella said he learned of the device from Hite, whom he serves with in the Allegany Volunteer Fire Department.

“(Hite) contacted me and wanted to demonstrate the product for us,” Pecorella said. “We bought right into it. We have something that’s going to keep our kids safe and a better way to locate an object in someone’s throat.”

Pecorella sad he or Hite will train the faculty and staff how to use the items.

Along with some other quick questions I sent yesterday, per these e-mails I obtained via a public records request, I asked principal Pecorella if he'd received any commissions selling the Dechoker.

 

I also asked whether he'd seen any of these media reports about the Dechoker, published months before he arranged purchase of the devices.

Can New Devices Match Heimlich to Stop Choking? LifeVac and Dechoker pose alternative to abdominal thrusts -- LifeVac and Dechoker pose alternative to abdominal thrusts by Laura Johannes, Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2016.

Anti-choking device business raided, accused of investment scheme by investigative reporter Matthew Grant, FOX46-TV News, Charlotte, NC, March 12, 2018.

'Dechoker' anti-choking device claims to save lives but has never been tested on humans by Jackie Callaway, WFTS-TV News, Tampa, FL, May 21, 2018.

Heimlich alternative? KWWL investigates new medical device offered to Iowa school by Amanda Gilbert, KWWL-TV News, Waterloo, IA, May 31, 2018; click here for the video.

Also from Ms. Sager's Times Herald article:

Tim Hite remembers a time when he tried to help a man who was choking on a sandwich, but couldn’t save him...During one incident in his hometown of Camden, he and other emergency personnel couldn’t help an older individual who was choking. The man, who was disabled, had tried to eat two peanut butter sandwiches at once, causing him to choke.

By the time we got to him, he was already in cardiac arrest” and died, he lamented.

..."(The) Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office has a first aid kit with an adult size (Dechoker) in it at their dispatch center.”

Yesterday I sent some quick questions to Mr. Hite asking for more details about the choking death and the placement of the Dechoker in the Sheriff's dispatch office.

Per Mr. Hite's August 24 e-mail (copied above) I'm also curious about his meeting with New York State Senator Catharine Young and New York State Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, so I'll inquire about that.

I'll report the results of my inquiries in a future item.

Via my records request to the school district, here are price quotes for the Dechokers from Mr. Hite's company, C3 Safety Products LLC:

* My original headline began "Olean, NY school principal..." H/T to a knowledgeable reader who informed me "Allegany-Limestone Central Schools are not Olean schools. The two districts abut each other, but are separate," so I changed to "Olean, NY-area." 

Deja vu all over again? Another UK paper -- the Northampton Chronicle & Echo -- disappeared another iffy choking rescue story so I've filed another IPSO complaint

Last month IMediaEthics published a solid report by ace reporter Sydney Smith about how in January a couple of leading UK newspapers published -- but then promptly "disappeared" -- a bogus choking rescue story and how my efforts resulted in both papers cleaning up the mess.

One of papers (the MailOnline) held out for eight months(!) and only agreed to address the problem after I filed a complaint with UK's Independent Press Standards Organisation.

Via IPSO's website:

We hold newspapers and magazines to account for their actions, protect individual rights, uphold high standards of journalism and help to maintain freedom of expression for the press.

In what may be a journalism first, today I filed another IPSO complaint against another UK newspaper which "disappeared" another article about another questionable choking rescue.

This one involves a controversial anti-choking plunger called the Dechoker. As it happens, the company's UK distributor claims that since the beginning of the year, this unapproved experimental  gadget has saved the lives of six -- I repeat, six -- elderly choking victims in nursing homes around the country.

#####

Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)
Gate House
1 Farringdon Street
London
EC4M 7LG

To whom it may concern:

This is to request that your agency investigate IPSO member organization the Northampton Chronicle & Echo for publishing and subsequently scrubbing an online news report after being informed that the story was problematic and possibly a hoax. Almost four months since publication and three months after the paper's editor claimed he had initiated an investigation, the article is still missing from the paper's website.

On 15 June 2018, Northampton care home staff save residents' [sic] life after he started choking by staff reporter Carly Roberts was published on the paper's website. Here's the complete text:

An Airway Clearance Device (ACD) made by a Northampton-based business has helped to save a second care home resident from choking to death.

Resident at Timken Grange care home in Duston, Bryan Kett, 87, was enjoying lunch when he began to choke on a piece of food, which had become stuck in his airway.

Care staff immediately stepped in to assist, and when the obstruction proved firmly stuck, they reached for their Dechoker. Within moments the piece of food had been removed and the resident recovered almost immediately.

“Choking is responsible for around six care home deaths every month,” said Matt Oakley, director at Dechoker UK. “We are both pleased and proud that once again Dechoker has been shown to be effective in a choking emergency.”

The home has Dechoker devices on every floor with their care teams comprehensively trained both how and when to use them.

The product resembles a large syringe attached to a gas mask. It is placed over their mouth and the operator then pulls the suction pump, creating a vacuum and extracting the item from their throat in a short time.

Staff at Dechoker say the effects of a choking death are far-reaching. Initially, there will be an emotional impact on the other residents and staff having to have dealt with and witnessed a very traumatic incident.

Choking is regarded as an unexpected death and as such there will be a Coroner’s investigation, which often takes many months. Not forgetting, throughout this entire process the family and friends of the resident are having to come to terms with both the cause of death and the ongoing implications as a result.

Timken Grange Home manager Rachel Cadd said: "We are delighted that our carers have been trained and are comfortable with using the Dechoker.

"We are confident that we would not hesitate in using the device again should the occasion arise.”

Based on my research/reporting and a string of investigative reports by U.S. journalists* about the Dechoker device -- which were published online before Ms. Roberts' story and which she could have easily located -- I had serious questions about the accuracy and competency of her reporting, so on 22 June I e-mailed her an inquiry and copied editor David Summers. I didn't receive a reply so on 25 June I re-sent my inquiry.

I didn't receive a reply to that either, so I sent a 19 July inquiry to Mr. Summers detailing some of my concerns:

Among other information missing from Ms. Roberts' poorly-reported article: the date of the alleged incident and what type of food the victim allegedly choked on; the names of the alleged rescuers and any eyewitnesses; quotes from the alleged rescuers, from Bryan Kett or from any members of his family or his legal guardian; whether or not Mr. Kett received subsequent medical care and the name of his attending physician; and no information about the case of the first care home patient allegedly saved from choking to death by the device.

I've made best efforts to verify the above information, including: multiple inquiries to Ms. Roberts (on which you were copied, see below my signature); inquiries to executives at Timken Grange and to Matt Oakley.

No replies were received from Ms. Roberts or from the Timken Grange executives. Mr. Oakley refused to provide any information about the reported incident and would not even provide me with the name(s) of the Timken Grange employee(s) who informed him about the alleged incident. Further, it's unclear if Mr. Oakley ever attempted to verify any of the facts or interviewed anyone associated with the case.

Further, multiple attempts to contact Bryan Kett, members of his family, and his legal representative were unsuccessful. Further, employees at Timken Grange would not even confirm that they have a resident named Bryan Kett.

Long story short, I haven't been able to obtain any substantiating evidence that the incident your paper reported took place. And based on Ms. Roberts' incompetent reporting, how can your readers be certain that she didn't get punk'd?

I didn't receive a reply so I sent him a 23 July follow up to which I received a polite same-day reply.

As I was preparing to respond to that, I discovered that sometime between 19 July and 23 July, Ms. Roberts' article had been scrubbed from the paper's website and the URL at which it was posted now redirected to the paper's home page https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/northampton-care-home-staff-save-residents-life-after-he-started-choking-1-8536207 I included that information in my 23 July reply to Mr. Summers.

In his next-day reply, without explanation Mr. Summers claimed he was "not in a position" to do any fact-checking of the story and that, "In relation to the article no longer appearing online, it is standard practice to remove articles, as a neutral act, while investigations are carried out." Copies of our e-mails are posted here http://tinyurl.com/ycppohjy

Since then I've provided Mr. Summers with considerable related information, including this 23 September 2018 investigation request I filed with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) http://tinyurl.com/y7o3cx4p According to all published information about the alleged choking rescue at Timken Grange, staff violated this 30 August 2017 MHRA directive re: the acceptable use of the device http://tinyurl.com/y7d9yn3r

In my opinion, the information I provided to Mr. Summers -- which included the investigative reports copied below my signature -- would persuade any responsible journalist to take a closer look at the case. At minimum, why wouldn't he at least attempt to verify whether or not Timken Grange actually has a resident named Bryan Kett?

Instead -- and this appears to be the extent of Mr. Summers' "investigation" -- he sent me a Timken Grange press release which was the basis of Ms. Roberts's 15 June 2018 report.

But even that's problematic. The press release -- issued by Sian Ellis, marketing Director at Oakdale Care Group, Timken Grange's parent corporation -- is dated 6 July 2018, three weeks after Ms. Roberts' article was published.

I received no indication that Mr. Summers or any other Chronicle & Echo staffer asked Ms. Ellis for any further information. On the contrary, the paper seemed determined to avoid obtaining additional information -- a peculiar approach to journalism, to be sure.

I, on the other hand, sent multiple e-mail inquiries to Ms. Ellis last month in an attempt to verify the information she provided to the Chronicle & Echo. (I copied Mr. Summers.) Despite receiving multiple confirmations of receipt, I didn't receive any responses http://tinyurl.com/y98meses

In any event, Ms. Roberts' article is still M.I.A., but I've attached a pdf copy. Here's a link to direct download a copy http://tinyurl.com/y9zp4zhg

It's unclear what's going on at Timken Grange and the Chronicle & Echo -- Ms. Roberts and Mr. Summers certainly don't seem inclined to find out -- but perhaps filing this complaint with your agency will produce more information.

Thanks for your time/consideration and I look forward to your reply. If you require any additional information and/or records I might be able to provide, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Peter M. Heimlich
REDACTED
Peachtree Corners, GA 30096 USA
ph: (208)474-7283
website: http://medfraud.info
blog: http://the-sidebar.com
e-mail: peter.heimlich@gmail.com
Twitter: @medfraud_pmh
bio: http://tinyurl.com/ych7o7dr

* 12 March 2018: Anti-choking device business raided, accused of investment scheme by Matthew Grant, 12 March 2018, FOX46 Charlotte North Carolina http://tinyurl.com/yd6tydmn

26 March 2018: "Growing pains" for company selling anti-choking device? NC state "investment scheme" investigation & three debt collection lawsuits, one filed by former top executive, The Sidebar (my blog), http://www.the-sidebar.com/2018/03/growing-pains-for-company-selling-anti.html

21 May 2018: 'Dechoker' anti-choking device claims to save lives but has never been tested on humans by Jackie Callaway, ABC Tampa Florida http://tinyurl.com/y9g5x8vu

31 May 2018: Heimlich alternative? KWWL investigates new medical device offered to Iowa school by Amanda Gilbert, 31 May 2018, NBC Waterloo Iowa: http://tinyurl.com/ydbz2xkr Complete interview with Iowa State EMS Director David Stilley MD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eczgssoPF9g

VIOLENCE INVOLVING FIREARMS: Week 3 of my midterm Georgia 7th District "constituent journalism" Q&A with my candidates for Congress, Rep. Rob Woodall (R) and challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux (D) [UPDATE: Why this was my last Q&A in the series]

11/7/18 UPDATE: I live in Georgia's 7th Congressional district, a suburb northeast of Atlanta. In September 2018, as a journalism experiment I began conducting a constituent Q&A with incumbent Rob Woodall (R) and challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux (D), providing both candidates with a weekly opportunity to share their positions on issues of concern to thoughtful voters.

Congressman Woodall's representative Derick Corbett declined to participate and he failed to respond to my subsequent weekly questions. Jake Best, Ms. Bourdeaux's communications director, enthusiastically agree to participate.

After three weeks of posts, Mr. Best missed our agreed-upon deadline and asked to change the frequency from once a week to every other week to which I agreed. He also agreed to respond to my fourth inquiry (dated September 30) requesting Ms. Bourdeaux's position on the Violence Against Women Act.

Despite repeated friendly e-nudges from me, I never received any further correspondence from the Bourdeaux campaign, so I ended my experiment.

#####

This item is the third of the weekly Q&A series I'm conducting with candidates for the 2018 Georgia 7th Congressional District (where I live and vote), incumbent Rep. Rob Woodall (R) and his challenger.for the seat, Carolyn Bourdeaux (D).

Last week Congressman Woodall went first, so this week is Ms. Bourdeaux's turn.

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Q: Citizens of good will across the political spectrum are concerned about violence involving firearms. Do you consider the problem to be serious and, if so, how serious? What solutions if any would you attempt to implement in order to address the problem?

BOURDEAUX: Gun violence is a major problem across our country, and it is one where I believe we can implement common-sense solutions supported by the vast majority of Americans.

To begin, I grew up around guns. My father owned a gun. My grandmother shot squirrels off her bird-feeder from her upstairs porch with a bb gun. My grandfather passed on to my uncle a wonderful historic gun collection, and many members of my family are hunters. But we were taught from an early age that guns are weapons, and owning a gun is a serious responsibility – it’s time that our country recognize this as well. I have spoken with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents on this issue, and I see common-ground.

Most of us agree that we need to ensure universal, comprehensive background checks with mandatory waiting periods. We need to close the gun show loophole. We must ban bump stocks, restrict civilian access to military-style assault weapons, and restrict access to high capacity magazines.

And most of us agree that schools are not the place for guns – our children’s safety must come first, but adding more weapons in schools in not the solution. Our children deserve to live in a world where their biggest worry is studying for a math test, not whether or not they'll live through the week or watch classmates and teachers die in front of them. These are serious problems, and I believe we can implement these changes and solutions to make our communities safer.

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In response to my invitation to participate in this project, Congressman Rob Woodall's campaign representative Derick Corbett e-mailed me, "I appreciate the generous offer and your zeal to participate in the race. Unfortunately though, as I consider our bandwith and your offer, we have to say no thank you."

I politely replied that the Bourdeaux campaign had agreed to participate; that in the interests of GA 7th District constituents, I hoped he'd reconsider; and that each Monday I'd send him my questions. (Our correspondence is posted here.)

Re: this week's question, I sent multiple e-mails and a fax with my question (for which I obtained confirmation of receipt) to Congressman Woodall and to Mr. Corbett. For the third week in a row, I didn't receive a reply.

IMMIGRATION: Week 2 of my midterm Georgia 7th District "constituent journalism" Q&A with my candidates for Congress, Rep. Rob Woodall (R) and Carolyn Bourdeaux (D)

This item is the second of the weekly Q&A series I'm conducting with candidates for the 2018 Georgia 7th Congressional District (where I live and vote), incumbent Rep. Rob Woodall (R) and his challenger.for the seat, Carolyn Bourdeaux (D).

This week's questions are about immigration. Last week Ms. Bourdeaux went first, so this week is Congressman Woodall's turn.

Woodall (source)

In response to my invitation to participate in this project, Congressman Rob Woodall's campaign representative Derick Corbett e-mailed me, "I appreciate the generous offer and your zeal to participate in the race. Unfortunately though, as I consider our bandwith and your offer, we have to say no thank you."

I politely replied that the Bourdeaux campaign had agreed to participate; that in the interests of GA 7th District constituents, I hoped he'd reconsider; and that each Monday I'd send him my questions. (Our correspondence is posted here.)

Re: this week's questions, I sent multiple e-mails and a fax with my questions (for which I obtained confirmation of receipt) to Congressman Woodall and to his campaign representative Derick Corbett. For the second week in a row, I didn't receive a reply.

Bourdeaux (source)

Q: Should comprehensive immigration reform be enacted? If so, what should and/or shouldn't be included? If not, why not?

BOURDEAUX: Yes, we need to enact comprehensive immigration reform in this country. Georgia’s 7th district is one of the most diverse communities in the entire nation, and I’m proud of that. We need to celebrate our diversity. We are long overdue for comprehensive immigration reform that recognizes the realities of our communities and labor markets. Part of immigration reform is border security, and the security of our border and our country is best served when we focus enforcement resources on criminals who mean us harm. We urgently need a path to citizenship for the DREAMers, who came here as children and are invaluable members of our communities.

Q: On September 7, the Departments of Homeland Security and Health & Human Services issued a proposal that reportedly would allow the government to indefinitely hold minors in detention. The proposed regulations would invalidate the Flores Settlement Agreement, a decree that has stipulated the treatment of detained underage migrants since 1997. As it stands, children can only be detained for up to 20 days. (source)

Do you support the proposal? If so, why? If not, why not?

CB: No, I do not support this proposal. The Trump Administration’s detention of children is wrong and inhumane, and this proposal is unjustifiable.

Q: Some have called for ICE to be reformed or abolished. What's your opinion?

CB: I believe we need to reform how ICE works. I agree that we need to better check ICE and provide oversight, but ICE itself is simply a law-enforcement agency that we need to monitor. ICE plays an integral role at the border, which is an important function. However, I also see that we need to root out any corruption involved in ICE to ensure a fair, transparent organization.

Colorado doctor who was disciplined in year 2000 Denver Bronco diet pill case is now spokesman for embattled Denver anti-choking device company

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The past couple of years have been challenging for Dechoker LLC, the Denver company that markets an anti-choking plunger of the same name for humans and for pets.



Per my blog, the company was named as a defendant in three lawsuits alleging unpaid debts, one of which was filed in a Louisville, KY, court by the company's former COO.

Then in March, FOX46 Charlotte, NC aired an investigative report by Matthew Grant, Anti-choking device business raided, accused of investment scheme.

A few months later, ABC Action News in Tampa broadcast 'Dechoker' anti-choking device claims to save lives but has never been tested on humans by investigative reporter Jackie Callaway:

A few weeks later, Amanda Gilbert at the NBC News affiliate in Waterloo, Iowa, reported that the supervisor of a local school district which had installed the devices would remove or sent them back to Dechoker LLC "until they can provide FDA approval on them."

But if you think the company's down for the count, think again.

Via Dechoker is Moving Forward! by company president Alan Carver in an August 31, 2018 post on the company's blog:

We just wanted to make a quick post to bring everyone up to date on a few of exciting things going on at Dechoker!

TWO MORE LIVES SAVED - We received confirmation of two more lives saved, these two were both in assisted living homes in UK. This bring the total to 20 lives that would not otherwise be here today if not for Dechoker!

...MEDICAL DIRECTOR - We have brought on a Medical Director for Dechoker. The Medical Director will further help in assisting drive the Dechoker device through education and promotion within the public and medical community.

Dechoker is continuing to push for eradicating choking deaths throughout the globe. 

I was unable to locate any substantive details about details about the claimed 20 lives saved by the device, but I found this YouTube video embedded on the home page of Dechoker LLC's website featuring Randall L. Snook MD who practices at Advanced Integrative Medicine in Lone Tree, a suburb of Denver:

It's unclear if Dr. Shook is the company's new medical director, but he's featured in the new Dechoker testimonial video:



It's unclear if Dr. Snook has any background in resuscitation but a quick Google search turned up the following information.

He also promotes PHatea, a "100% Natural Chinese Dark Tea" :


Randall Snook MD Pha Tea from iHeartMediaDenver on Vimeo.


Via PHatea.com, whose website includes an undated CV for Dr. Snook:


Dechoker LLC appears to be trying to make a new start after facing some serious challenges.

A quick Google search revealed that, re: a widely-reported story about 18 years ago (NY Times, ABC7 Denver, etc.), Dr. Snook appears to have done the same.

Via Fallout stuns Romo's doctor by staff reporter Mike McPhee, Denver Post, October, 11, 2000:

The physician who wrote prescriptions for diet pills that were allegedly given to Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski says he had no idea the consequences would be so grave.

"It's not even banned by the NFL," Dr. Randall Snook said Monday, referring to the appetite suppressant phentermine. "If I had written the prescriptions for Bill, none of this would have happened."

But Snook didn't, and he lost his Littleton practice as well as his 4,000 patients. Last spring, the internal medicine/gerontologist pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully dispensing a controlled substance.

Via Romanowski says trial verdict restores his reputation, Associated Press, June 30, 2001:

Saying his reputation was restored, Denver Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski was acquitted of getting prescription diet pills illegally.

...(Defense lawyers never denied that Dr. Randall Snook prescribed phentermine for other people that was meant for Romanowski. But they said Romanowski committed no crime because he was acting on the advice of Snook. They also said Snook told the Romanowskis they were doing nothing wrong.

...Snook pleaded guilty to providing the pills.

The GA 7th Congressional race: Rep. Rod Woodall (R) and challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux (D) response to my questions about Medicaid

Per my previous item, SNEAK PEEK: My first weekly Q&A with Rep. Rob Woodall (R) & Carolyn Bourdeaux (D), candidates for the Georgia 7th congressional district, today marks the first of a series of what I've called "constituent journalism."

The source of this week's questions is an AARP article published last month. 

Based on last name alphabetical order, this week Ms. Bourdeaux goes first. Next week Rep. Woodall will lead off.

Bourdeaux

Will you promise not to cut Medicaid to pay for tax cuts or other spending?

CB: One of my top priorities in Congress is expanding access to quality, affordable health care, not working to take it away. I oppose the GOP tax bill that passed last year, which gave large handouts to big corporations and the wealthy while eventually hurting the middle class. While I am concerned about our rising deficit, I will not cut Medicaid in favor of tax cuts or other handouts to the rich.

Would you oppose making Medicaid a block grant program?

CB: Yes. Making Medicaid a block grant program would hurt Georgians and make it harder for those on Medicaid to get the health care coverage they need.

Would you support Medicaid guaranteeing long-term care services at home?

CB: Having just struggled with health care for both my and my husband’s aging parents, I am deeply sympathetic to the challenge and financial drain of providing long-term care. Neither my parents nor my in-laws wanted to leave their homes, and we were worried about having to put them in a nursing home. If we can promote in-home care as a low-cost alternative to nursing homes, I would certainly support it, but one of the challenges we found, and we face as a society, is that in-home care at a certain stage becomes extremely expensive. I am open to ideas about how to address this issue.

Should Medicaid recipients be subject to work requirements?

CB: No. Placing work requirements on Medicaid recipients would hurt low-income Georgians. In Georgia, for the most part, only children, pregnant women, new mothers and the aged, blind, and disabled receive Medicaid benefits. Work requirements make no sense. Should Georgia expand Medicaid, I would still oppose this provision because health is often a precondition to being able to work.

Woodall

In response to my invitation to participate in this project, Congressman Rob Woodall's campaign representative Derick Corbett e-mailed me, "I appreciate the generous offer and your zeal to participate in the race. Unfortunately though, as I consider our bandwith and your offer, we have to say no thank you."

I politely replied that the Bourdeaux campaign had agreed to participate; that in the interests of GA 7th District constituents, I hoped he'd reconsider; and that each Monday I'd send him my questions. (The complete correspondence is posted here.)

Re: this week's questions, I sent multiple e-mails and faxed Mr. Corbett (for which I obtained confirmation of receipt), but I didn't receive any further communications. 

Check back next Friday for round 2!

SNEAK PEEK: My first weekly Q&A with Rep. Rob Woodall (R) & Carolyn Bourdeaux (D), candidates for the Georgia 7th congressional district

U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall (R) & his congressional challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux (D)

My wife and I live and vote in Georgia's 7th Congressional District which, according to Wikipedia, "includes portions of the northeast Atlanta metropolitan area, including the cities of Peachtree Corners, Norcross, Cumming, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee, and Buford."

In what I hope will be an informative and lively foray into "constituent journalism," I've decided to use my blog as a once-a-week Q&A forum for the Republican and Democrat candidates vying for that congressional seat in this year's midterm elections.

As a sneak preview, below the hash marks are the questions I'm sending the candidates this morning along with a recap of the ground rules which I previously covered with their campaign representatives.

Full disclosure, as I informed both campaigns, I'm a registered Democrat, but I'll be maintaining a completely non-partisan stance and the questions I submit to the candidates will reflect that.

My objective is to provide both candidates with an unedited, open-ended opportunity to express themselves on substantive issues that matter to thoughtful citizens. Rest assured I will fiercely avoid political spin.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check back Friday for their responses!

#########

Rep. Rob Woodall
% Derick Corbett
E-mailed to derick@robwoodall.com
Faxed to (770)232-2909

Carolyn Bourdeaux
% Jake Best
E-mailed to jakebest@carolyn4congress.com & carolyn@carolyn4congress.com

Dear Rep. Woodall & Ms. Bourdeaux:

Per my previous e-mails to Derick Corbett & Jake Best, this is the first of my questions for a weekly Q&A series I'm publishing on my blog, The Sidebar.

To quickly recap, each Monday from today until October 29, I'll be sending you substantive questions re: matters of interest to GA 7th District constituents (of which I'm proud to number myself). You'll have until end of the day Thursday to respond and I'll publish your responses unedited and without comment the next morning (Friday).

For example, for today's questions, your deadline is end of the day Thursday, September 13 and I'll publish your responses the morning of Friday, September 14. Each week I'll alternate whose response is posted first and I plan to forward my items to local mainstream media outlets.

I do not accept posted comments on my blog, but if I receive thoughtful e-mails -- emphasis on thoughtful -- I may publish those on my blog separate from the Q&A items or on my Twitter account. Long story short, I will maintain a fair forum for sound debate.

Okay, on to my questions which are copied verbatim from Midterm Election Winners Could Determine Medicaid’s Future; New lawmakers will decide whether to cut or maintain the safety-net program’s benefits by Dena Bunis, AARP Bulletin, July/August 2018.

1) Will you promise not to cut Medicaid to pay for tax cuts or other spending?

2) Would you oppose making Medicaid a block grant program?

3) Would you support Medicaid guaranteeing long-term care services at home?

4) Should Medicaid recipients be subject to work requirements?

On behalf of GA 7th voters, sincere thanks for your time/consideration and I look forward to receiving and publishing your answers.

Cheers, Peter

Peter M. Heimlich
Peachtree Corners, GA 30096 USA
ph: (208)474-7283
website: http://medfraud.info
blog: http://the-sidebar.com
e-mail: peter.heimlich@gmail.com
Twitter: @medfraud_pmh
bio: http://tinyurl.com/ych7o7dr

cc: Dena Bunis % Veronica Byrd Director, Media Relations, Health Care, Health Policy, Medicare, Medicaid, AARP

Last year Louisville, KY home/residential care conglomerate ResCare "purchased and placed" a controversial anti-choking device in over 2,600 of their facilities across the country; I've asked U.S. & KY government agencies to investigate

source

Below the hash marks is a considerably abbreviated version of an investigations request letter I sent on August 28, 2018 to:

Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Andy Beshear, Kentucky Attorney General

Steve Davis, Inspector General
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services

My letter, entirely based on publicly-available information, includes links and quotes from three recent television news investigative reports about an anti-choking device called the Dechoker; a letter from a former executive associated with the device; and a testimonial letter from a ResCare vice president.

Click here to download a copy.

Also see my March 26, 2018 item, "Growing pains" for company selling anti-choking device? NC state "investment scheme" investigation & three debt collection lawsuits, one filed by former top executive.

#################################

Dear Mr. Levinson, Mr. Beshear, and Mr. Davis:

Via the web page https://www.rescare.com/about/

(ResCare Inc., founded and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky is) the largest diversified health and human services provider in the U.S., ResCare* is the largest private provider of services to people with disabilities, the largest privately-owned home care company, the largest provider of specialized high-acuity neuro-rehab in community settings and the largest career center workforce contractor in the U.S.

Based on the following information, ResCare Inc. appears to be using residents at over 2600 of their facilities to test an unapproved, experimental medical device called the Dechoker.

To my knowledge, no research has been published in the literature about the device which is intended for use in life or death choking emergencies.

Further, to my knowledge, the device, which is sold by Dechoker LLC (formerly based in Concord, NC, now in Denver, CO), is not recommended by any medical organizations or by resuscitation experts.

I have no knowledge whether or not residents of ResCare facilities or their legal guardians have been informed about the potential use of the device. However, according to the attached February 20, 2018 testimonial letter signed by a senior ResCare executive, the Dechoker has been employed in at least seven choking emergencies at ResCare facilities.

...This is to request that you obtain and review any relevant information regarding ResCare’s purchase of and placement of the Dechoker “in all 2,600+ ResCare facilities across the country”; that you determine if that purchase and placement complies with all applicable regulations; and that you make public the results.

This is also to request that you investigate the cases in which...the Dechoker has (allegedly) been used to save the lives of seven choking victims in ResCare facilities, and that you make public the results including but not limited to the dates and locations of the cases and the names and job titles of all participating ResCare employees.

Thank you for your time, attention, and I look forward to your reply. Please feel free correspond with me via e-mail and if you have any questions I might be able to answer, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Peter M. Heimlich
STREET ADDRESS REDACTED
Peachtree Corners, GA 30096 USA
ph: (208)474-7283
website: http://medfraud.info
blog: http://the-sidebar.com
e-mail: peter.heimlich@gmail.com
Twitter: @medfraud_pmh
bio: http://tinyurl.com/ych7o7dr

* According to an August 15. 2018 press release, “BrightSpring Health Services is the new name for Kentucky-based ResCare...”

My employee misconduct complaint against Chicago Tribune Standards Editor Margaret Holt -- and a related crowd source inquiry

source

If I come across factual information in mainstream press reports that I know is false, I do what I can to fix it.

In fact, according to Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple, I may hold the record for published corrections for a single news topic.

That's one reason it bugs me when journalists refuse to publish corrections for straightforward factual errors.

And that's one reason why the other day I filed a misconduct complaint against Margaret Holt, Standards Editor at the Chicago Tribune and a prominent figure in the newspaper business.

The tale starts with a July 16, 2018 Tribune story, Family members of Dr. Henry Heimlich say Red Cross guidance on choking victims could end in death by reporter Ese Olumhense. 

The article's about a campaign against the American Red Cross (ARC) launched last month by my sister Janet Heimlich, a journalist/author/nonprofit executive in Austin, Texas, and my brother Phil Heimlich, a former elected official in Cincinnati.

They're on the warpath because the ARC recommends performing back blows along with our dad's namesake maneuver (abdominal thrusts) to respond to a choking emergency.

In my opinion, Ms. Olumhense's story has some serious reportorial problems. (Re: the medical issues, visit my web page for links to related published documents.)

For example, the ARC's current protocol has been in place since 2005, a fact that's not mentioned in her article, so it's unclear if Ms. Olumhense was even aware of that.

If she was, presumably she would have asked Janet and Phil why they waited 13 years to voice their concerns. (In e-mails last month I asked Janet and Phil about that and about other aspects of their campaign; I haven't received a reply from either.)

Moving right along, here's the problem at hand:

(Leading) U.S. medical and first-aid groups, including the American Heart Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Safety Council all advise people to use Heimlich-style abdominal thrusts only...

What's the problem? 

It's this word: only.

I wasn't sure about the National Safety Council (NSC), and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), but I knew that in addition to our dad's famous treatment, current American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines recommend back blows and chest thrusts for responding to choking emergencies. 

So the day her article appeared, I e-mailed a friendly note to Ms. Olumhense, explained that I had questions, and politely asked her to provide her editor's name and e-mail address so I could copy her/him on my correspondence.

A short time later I received this:

From: Margaret C. Holt <mcholt@chicagotribune.com>
To: Peter Heimlich <peter.heimlich@gmail.com>
Subject: Tribune follow-up
Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2018 16:37:49 +0000

Mr. Heimlich:
Your email was referred to me for response. The story is straightforward in quoting people about the topic, including a reference to a disagreement between some family members and the Red Cross. There is nothing further beyond what is in the published article.
Sincerely,
Margaret Holt
Standards Editor

Since I knew the part of the sentence about the AHA was wrong, I realized Ms. Holt didn't know what she was talking about.

And since she didn't ask what my concerns might be, presumably she didn't care, so I same-day replied:

Margaret,

Would you please provide me with your superior's name and e-mail address?

Thank you for your continued attention and I look forward to your reply.

Cheers, Peter

A week later I hadn't received a reply, so on July 23 I sent a friendly "can you help me?" e- mail to Tribune Managing Editor Peter Kendall who some years ago had capably assisted me with an unrelated editorial problem.

He passed the baton back to Ms. Holt:

Mr. Heimlich,
Thank you for your email.
I am copying Margaret on this so you can share any specific questions or concerns about the story.
She is the appropriate person to handle this.

After thanking him, I e-mailed media representatives at the AHA, NSC, and ACEP and asked for their organizations' positions.

An AHA Vice President e-mailed me this, taken from the organization's current guidelines (my emphasis):

“…chest thrusts, back slaps, and abdominal thrusts are feasible and effective for relieving severe FBAO [Foreign Body Airway Obstruction] in conscious (responsive) adults and children over 1 year of age.

The NSC rep replied that their organization adheres to AHA guidelines.

And an ACEP manager in that organization's communications department e-mailed me that their organization "does not have a formal policy on the Heimlich maneuver."

Based on those e-mails, the Tribune's claim that the three organizations "all advise people to use Heimlich-style abdominal thrusts only" is unequivocally wrong, ain't it?

Along the way I also identified what may be the source of Ms. Olumhense's error. 

Her article was apparently triggered by a July 10 e-mail and press release snet by a publicist representing Janet and Phil which included this sentence:

The American Heart Association teaches the Heimlich Maneuver as the only method to be used to save a choking victim, as does the National Safety Council and the American College of Emergency Physicians.

In any event, after obtaining the information from the AHA, NSC, and ACEP, I was on firm ground, so on August 7 I e-mailed the facts to Ms. Holt and requested a published clarification.

A week later I hadn't received a reply from Ms. Holt, so -- you guessed it -- on August 15, I asked Peter Kendall to step in.
 
A short time later I received this...

Mr. Heimlich:
We have reviewed your correspondence and disagree with your conclusion about factual
errors. There is no correction planned.
Sincerely,
Margaret Holt

...to which I replied:

The information I provided to you from the AHA, the NSC, and ACEP clearly contradicts the sentence in Ms. Olumhense's article, therefore please clearly state the basis for your disagreement.
If you intend to provide me with an adequate, professional response, please do so before this weekend so I may know how to proceed. 

Over a week later, no reply (click here for the entire e-mail trail of tears) and I could think of only one other available avenue of  possible recourse.

So a couple days ago, I phoned the Tribune's switchboard and explained that I wanted to file a misconduct complaint against a newsroom employee. 

I was transferred to a representative of a company that handles complaints for the Tribune, NAVEX Global Inc., based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, a Portland suburb.

The NAVEX rep was a helpful, articulate fellow who informed me that they didn't accept written complaints. That struck me as odd and I wanted a record of the transaction, so I recorded the call.

I explained the situation and he patiently and courteously took notes. 

Next he put me on a brief hold to arrange his notes into a formal complaint, then came back on the line and read it to me for my approval. 

I suggested a few tweaks which he incorporated in this final version:



I'll report any developments in a future item but even if my complaint falls on deaf ears, the excursion was worth my time because Ms. Holt's incompetent, unprofessional handling of such a small problem may signal deeper rot.

That is, if Ms. Holt buries easy-to-fix factual errors like this, how does she handle serious editorial problems?

With that in mind, if you've had any related experiences with her, drop me a line. 


This item has been slightly revised.