As the Medical Review Officer (MRO) for the Massachusetts state Physician Health Program (PHP), Physician Health Services, Inc. (PHS, inc.), Dr. Wayne Gavryck’s responsibility is simple. He is supposed to verify that the chain-of-custody in any and all drug and alcohol testing is intact before reporting a test as positive.
Dr. Gavryck evidently did not do that here. In fact for more than a year he helped cover up an alcohol test that was intentionally fabricated at the behest of PHS Medical Director Dr. Luis Sanchez, M.D. and Director of Operations Linda Bresnahan (who told me when I confronted her with the fact that I have never had or ever even been suspected of having an alcohol problem “you have an Irish last name–good luck finding anyone who will believe you!”)
It took a formal complaint with the College of American Pathologists to get the truth out. The whole fiasco can be seen here and here.
What Gavryck and his co-conspirators did is egregious and ethically reprehensible. It shows a complete lack of moral compass and personal integrity. What was done from collection to report to coverup and everything in-between is indefensible on all levels (procedurally, ethically, and legally).
The documentary evidence shows with clarity that this was not accident or oversight. It was intentional and purposeful misconduct. I think everyone would agree that there should be zero-tolerance for forensic fraud in positions of power. Any person of honor and civility would agree.
Transparency, regulation, and accountability are necessary for these groups. It is an issue that needs to be acknowledged and addressed not ignored and covered up.
If Dr. Gavryck can give a procedural, ethical, or legal explanation of what was done then I stand corrected. Just one will suffice. I’ll erase my blog and vanish into the woodwork. But If he cannot then this needs to be addressed openly and publicly. And whether he was involved in the original fraud or not is irrelevant. As the MRO for PHS it is his responsibility to correct it–however late the hour may be.
Perhaps Dr. Gavryck needs to see some of the damage he has caused in order to take this responsibility. Known as a “bag man” who simply rubber stamps positive tests at the request of Sanchez and Bresnahan (much like Annie Dookhan) he does not see the damage that is caused. Forensic fraud has grave and far reaching effects and in this case has severely impacted many people and include patient deaths.
Perhaps Dr. Gavryck needs to take a “moral inventory” and see that this this type of behavior causes real damage to real people and put a face on it.
It is people just like this who are killing physicians across the country. The body count is vast and multiple. And those who are caught doing dirty deeds such as this need to be held accountable.
Please help me get this exposed, corrected, and rectified. The doctors of Massachusetts and the doctors of this entire country deserve better than this.
Details of how the state PHP scam operates can be seen below as pertains to my case. Occurring in most states under the FSPHP ( although some are worse than others) the Method of Operation (M.O) is the same.
I. July 28th, 2011. Reporting a Positive Test
This letter from Physician Health Services, Inc. Medical Director (and past President of FSPHP) Dr. Luis Sanchez, M.D. to the Massachusetts Medical Board reports a markedly high level for Phosphatidylethanol (PEth), an alcohol biomarker test being used by Physician Health Programs to detect alcohol use.
The cutoff for heavy drinking is anything greater than 20 ng/mL. Mine came back at a level of 365.4 ng/ml! This level is suggestive of end-stage alcoholism and putting away a half-gallon a day of the hard stuff. It is, in fact, reportedly the second highest level in history and the other guy was dead on arrival.
After reporting the blood test as dirty, Sanchez then requests a “reevaluation.”
II. Requested Evaluation Limited to “Like-Minded Docs”
I was given three choices for this re-evaluation as listed above. The Medical Directors can all be found on this list of “Like-Minded Docs” Their philosophy of 12-step “intervention” can be seen here.
Dr. David Withers, M.D. Associate Medical Director of Marworth Treatment Center.
Dr. Marv Seppala, Chief Medical Director of Hazelden.
Dr. Omar Manejwala, M.D. Medical Director of Hazelden.
Dr. Mike Wilkerson, M.D., Medical Director of Bradford Health Services-Warrior
This referral to “like-minds” is part of the state Physician Health Program scam. It is essentially self-referral as the choices are limited to “PHP-approved” assessment and treatment centers. For doctors (and now pilots) an objective and independent referral is out of the question. It is, in fact, a rigged system.
Note Dr. Wayne Gavryck, M.D. Medical Review Officer (MRO) for the Massachusetts PHP, PHS, Inc. is also on the list of “Like-Minded Docs.”
Dr. Greg Skipper, the physician who proposed and promoted the use of EtG, EtS, PEth and other non FDA approved “Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) for forensic testing is also on the list.
Former White House Drug Czar Dr. Robert Dupont who is claiming Physician Health Programs (PHPs) are the “new paradigm” for substance abuse treatment is also on the list. Dupont wants to use the PHP model (including the non-FDA approved drug and alcohol tests they introduced) for other Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and populations (including kids and students.).
III. November 29, 2011. PHS Agrees to my Request for “Litigation Packet”
Any and all forensic drug and alcohol testing requires strict chain-of-custody. Documentation of chain-of-custody is necessary to protects both those ordering and doing the testing and the person being tested. Forensic laboratories provide documentation of chain-of-custody in a document called a “litigation packet.”
On November 29, 2011 PHS agreed to my request.
IV. Discovering Procedural Misconduct and Forensic Fraud
The screenshot above is an ID card used for random drug and alcohol testing. It is a card issued by Physician Health Services, Inc. and contains my picture, my initials and an ID # 1310. The number #1310 is a unique identifier like a social security number or medical record number. It is used to document “chain-of-custody” for testing and identifies who I am for laboratory testing.
The document below is a fax from Physician Health Services, Inc.
The document is signed by Mary Howard , whose job description is as below:
“If you have any questions” the document sates, “please call Linda Bresnahan 781-434-7404.” Ms. Howard assists Ms. Bresnahan in the drug and alcohol testing of doctors monitored by PHS.
The Elephant in the room is the state Physician Health Programs organized under the FSPHP. Nothing has changed–they have only grown more powerful and opaque and removed themselves from accountability and culpability. Moreover, they are expanding to other fields. Just ask the airline pilots. They eventually want to expand to 
Disrupted Physician 