Unfounded, vicious venom

I read Erin Neff’s comments regarding Dr. Daniel McBride in her Tuesday column (April 1, 2008). As a lifelong friend of Dr. McBride, I am outraged and incensed by her distortions. Dr. McBride is a dedicated surgeon who accepted the request of former Gov. Kenny Guinn to volunteer his services to the Board of Medical Examiners because he felt it was a service to his community and profession.

Ms. Neff states, “It made me wonder for a moment what Mike O’Callaghan might have done had someone challenged him like that when he was governor. If a real man were in the mansion, Drs. Javaid Anwar, Daniel McBride and Sohail Anjum just might not have the privilege to practice medicine anymore.”

What gives her the right to presume to speak for the late esteemed Gov. O’Callaghan? It might shock her to know that Dr. McBride knew Gov. O’Callaghan and his family personally. I believe it is fair to say that Gov. O’Callaghan’s view of Dr. McBride’s character, integrity and abilities do not comport with her statement.

Ms. Neff’s columns on the endoscopy center crisis have been continually infected by her lack of knowledge and perspective. Is she seriously suggesting that Dr. McBride should somehow be punished solely because he knew Dr. Desai?

If that is the case, the logical conclusion is that half of the Las Vegas medical community needs to be penalized for their guilt by association.

The Board of Medical Examiners had nothing to do with the practices of the clinic. Their role by law is to now investigate and impose punishment on those doctors responsible for adopting and/or directing those practices. Dr. McBride has properly recused himself from participating in those deliberations. To casually impute some kind of guilt to Dr. McBride simply because he knows Dr. Desai, or by reason of his membership on the board, demonstrates an incredible lack of knowledge, competence and responsibility on her part.

To even suggest that a governor would, or has the power to, revoke Dr. McBride’s license to practice medicine, is at least professional stupidity on her part because that is not the case.

To then compound her grievous error by invoking the name of our late respected Gov. O’Callaghan to try to prove a senseless point is an insult to the memory of a fine man and revered governor.

This illustrates that perhaps journalists should be licensed before they are allowed to spread this type of unfounded and vicious venom about a respected member of our community — and one of Nevada’s finest doctors. If that were the case, Erin Neff would have lost her license long ago.

Journalists have a responsibility to be professional, responsible and knowledgeable about the subject matter they wish to comment upon. Erin Neff failed miserably in this case.

I believe she and the Review-Journal owe Dr. McBride an apology.

Marc C. Gordon

LAS VEGAS

THE WRITER IS A LOCAL ATTORNEY.