WaPo: FDA Rethinks Women's Health Chief (the vet's out)

[Rose Siding]

By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 20, 2005; Page A21

One week ago, the Office of Women's Health of the Food and Drug Administration sent an e-mail notice to women's groups and others announcing the appointment of Norris Alderson as its new acting director.

An FDA veteran trained in animal husbandry who spent much of his career in the agency's Center for Veterinary Medicine, Alderson quickly became the subject of active and largely negative comment on the Internet and elsewhere.
....
Three days after the Alderson announcement, the FDA main press office sent out a very different announcement. It said that 20-year FDA veteran Theresa A. Toigo would be the new acting director of the women's health office, and that she would be a champion for women's health inside and outside the agency. Alderson -- and the statement announcing his appointment -- was never mentioned.

The seeming mystery thickened when several women's groups said that not only did they receive e-mails announcing Alderson's appointment, but also that he was also listed on a Health and Human Services directory last week as the acting director of the office. In addition, people who have spoken with women's health office staff said that Alderson was introduced to the staff last week as the new acting director, and that he even had some one-on-one discussions with staff members about future plans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/19/AR2005091901576.html

[WilliamPitt]

1. A government in disarray

For the very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very very ver very very first time in five long years...

...criticism is derailing bad ideas.

[FloridaPat]

2. It was a no-brainer. How could they be that stupid and uncaring?

Oh, yeah - they're repubs

[Ilsa]

3. Ah gee. I wish it had gone on a little longer.

I really wanted the women's groups and FACOG to mount a vocal opposition to this absurd and insulting Alderson appointment. I really wanted Bush to get bitch-slapped on this in front of everyone.

[susanna]

4. 'twas an insult IMHO

Which does not imply that I do not understand the difficult training veterinarians actually go through. As a dog lover, I have scoured my local area for the best vet, and found her.

That said, I wouldn't want a veterinarian trying to figure out my hormones/ovaries/uterus/vagina systems "on the job," so to speak. But maybe that's just me...

[kestrel91316]

5. The vet that was appointed was NOT appointed to practice (human)

medicine. The job is a bureaucratic/paperpushing one. I feel that a physician with a background in women's health is the most logical choice, but veterinarians are trained to think on their feet, keep learning their whole lives, and extrapolating from one species to another without breaking stride. His appointment was not completely without merit, just not the most logical one.


Edir for spelling/grammar

[susanna]

6. I don't knock vets, per my original post;

vets are highly trained individuals.

That said, the average woman in this country probably doesn't want to read in the NYT or WaPo that their health concerns have been taken over by a veterinarian - regardless of their "ability to think on their feet." I'm just saying.

on edit: subject line

[kestrel91316]

7. I understand and tend to agree, but I think most folks on DU

who think physicians are by definition medical geniuses would be shocked by what consistently inept, uncaring, and downright dumb pet owners they often are. Some of the worst cases of owner neglect I have ever seen have been at the hands of board-certified physicians. They are notorious for completely ignoring veterinary advice.

Not a sign of intelligence or common sense, IMHO.

[susanna]

8. Again, I do not disagree.

It's really about the perception of the appointment. Hopefully, you can understand that as a woman, I am not a bitch about to deliver a litter? I am not a sow, or brood mare?

There is something fragile for women, instituted in the last 80 - 90 years or so, that implies we are human beings and deserve respect. That respect involves a medical specialty or two, and it seems a sign of progress to me.

Just so you know, I am a dog-lover and have a wonderful relationship with my girl's vet. He sometimes has more insight to her issues (she's a canine senior citizen) than my personal M.D. counterpart has for me!

That said, the vet's training was not (primarily) in the very intrinsic human female system that I share with half the planet. I would prefer someone who has studied ME...not my dog. It really comes down to perception, for me at least.

[kestrel91316]

10. I think the only conceivable way they could have put a vet in this

job would be if they had chosen a theriogenology specialist. They are the repro folks. And if they know repro med for every OTHER species on the planet, it isn't hard to add on that one last species to their knowledge base.

I think Patty Olsen would be perfectly capable of doing this job.

Remember, they have had physicians running the FDA and lording ot over vets in matters pertaining to VETERINARY medicine for as long as the FDA has been around, and that wasn't seen as a problem. We who understand medicine, UNDERSTAND MEDICINE. Vets especially are good at adding species to their area of expertise. Humans are primates.

[SoCalDem]

9. They eye medicine I use is exactly the saem as what my kitties get

from the vet..and probably cheaper too:).. I admit that on occasion, when i have run oput...I have used thers:)

[never_get_over_it]

12. I'm not sure about the merit of his appointment

but from a PR perspective could they have messed this up anymore - ok little ladies were going to put a MALE ANIMAL DOCTOR in charge of women's health issues. One of my best friends is a vet and also one of the brightest people I know - so I understand his potential merits - but man it just looked REALLY BAD.

[DanCa]

11. Just in Murder Inc has given us permision to go ahead with asprin.

[eridani]

13. A veterinarian appointment is quite appropriate for neocons--

--considering that they want to assign the legal status enjoyed by brood mares to human females of reproductive age.