Christ staff president ousted over
'cap' views
Didn't represent our position, other docs say
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
By Jason Fink
Journal staff writer
The president of the medical staff at Christ Hospital in Jersey City was ousted from his position yesterday by
colleagues angry over his support for a group that opposes caps on medical malpractice awards.
The vote to remove Dr. George Ciechanowski, who had headed the group representing about 300 doctors at the
hospital, came after members criticized a letter Ciechanowski wrote that was published in a brochure
distributed to voters before Election Day by Consumers for Civil Justice, a Trenton-based organization that has vigorously
opposed caps on jury awards for pain and suffering in malpractice cases.
In the letter, which was published along with pictures of sick children identified as patients harmed by doctors'
mistakes, Ciechanowski urges voters "not to give up your rights should you or your family become a
victim of medical error."
Though the text of the letter does not mention malpractice awards, a postscript lists several organizations that "also
are opposed" to caps, which have been proposed by Republican lawmakers and resisted by
many Democrats in the Legislature. New Jersey does not place caps on jury pain and suffering awards in malpractice cases.
The letter attributed to Ciechanowski is addressed to "New Jersey resident" and is accompanied by a photograph
of the doctor in a white coat with a stethoscope around his neck, though it does not identify him
as the medical staff president at Christ Hospital. In the letter, Ciechanowski urges residents to support a malpractice reform plan
proposed in the Assembly that does not include caps.
The brochure was sent to thousands of homes and distributed at rallies in the weeks before the Nov. 3 election.
In a meeting yesterday afternoon attended by more than 100 medical staff
members, several doctors harshly criticized Ciechanowski for what they said were views that put him in the minority among doctors at the hospital
and in the state at large.
Supporters of Ciechanowski, including officials at Consumers for Civil Justice, portrayed the vote - which,
according to one doctor present, was at least 70 percent in favor of removing him - as punishing an individual for
expressing his personal views.
"I think it's the most small-minded, despicable act that people who we hold so highly in our society, doctors, can
take," said Peter Guzzo, the executive director of CCJ, referring to the vote. "It's anti-American."
But Dr. Mark Olesnicky, the president of the Medical Society of New
Jersey, which supports caps, said it was only logical that the medical staff at Christ Hospital would want a president who represents the majority
viewpoint.
"The physician who is president of a medical staff is in an elected position and if the president does not echo the
views of the members they will vote him out," said Olesnicky, who practices in Florham Park.
Ciechanowski was replaced by the medical staff vice president, Dr. Astab Khawaja. Neither could be reached
yesterday for comment.
The medical staff represents physicians in its relations with the hospital administration and though it does not openly
endorse political candidates, Olesnicky, who was once president of the medical staff at a hospital, said
members of medical staffs do discuss legislative issues that affect the profession and, in some cases, are encouraged to make
contributions to campaigns.
At Christ Hospital, the group meets quarterly and presidents generally serve one-year terms.
Ciechanowski, whose term was not due to end until June, was clearly voted out because of the brochure and what is seen as
his opposition to caps.
"He was recalled, essentially," said Dr. John Hosay, a medical staff member who was at yesterday's late-morning
meeting. "This was basically a referendum on caps."
Hosay, who said the staff meeting was the best-attended he had ever seen, said he is personally in favor of caps
but did not vote to oust Ciechanowski because he felt his colleague's position on the issue had
been misrepresented.
"He was simply saying that caps were not the only answer," said Hosay. "He's not the wholehearted supporter of
caps that some people are, but he's not against them."
Hosay said Ciechanowski should have done a better job of clarifying his
views.
Still, Hosay, a past president of the Hudson County chapter of the Medical Society, said the vote - and the anger it
generated from some doctors - is an indication of how heated the issue is on both sides.
Democrats, who took control of the state Senate and increased their majority in the Assembly two weeks ago, are
angry over the push made by physicians on behalf of Republican candidates likely to support caps.
The Medical Society and other doctors who favor caps may have to settle for a plan endorsed by Assembly
Democrats that would place restrictions on malpractice lawsuits and create a fund to pay subsidies to physicians
faced with large increases in their insurance premiums.
Jason Fink can be reached at jfink@jjournal.com