UW doctors face penalties for writing sick notes for protesters

  Health doctors who wrote sick notes for protesters at the Capitol in February face penalties up to a loss of pay and leadership positions, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health said Tuesday. The medical school reviewed 22 UW Health doctors said to have been involved in writing medical excuses for protesters attending rallies over Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposals, according to a medical school statement. “Several” of the doctors were found not to have participated, and among those who were involved “the nature and extent of involvement varied widely,” the statement said. “Personnel action will be based on the specific nature of the offense and the level of the physician’s involvement,” the statement said. “The consequences range from written reprimand to loss of pay and leadership position.” The statement didn’t identify the doctors, citing public employee records laws, and said “the school will not comment on individual cases.” Lisa Brunette, UW Health spokeswoman, wouldn’t say how many doctors were found to be involved. The Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing and the Medical Examining Board areinvestigating eight people who allegedly wrote notes, the agencies said last week. The Wisconsin Medical Society criticized the doctors’ actions, saying they threatened the public’s trust in the medical profession.
The Madison School District told teachers who turned in fraudulent sick notes to rescind them by last month or face discipline. The district received more than 1,000 notes from teachers during the protests.
Dr. Lou Sanner, a family medicine physician at UW Health, told the Associated Press he wrote hundreds of medical excuses from work for protesters because they were suffering from stress.
“Some people think it’s a nod-and-wink thing, but it’s not,” he said.