Medical board’s director resigns after controversy

By Cy Ryan

Published Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 | 4:07 p.m.

Updated Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 | 4:59 p.m.

CARSON CITY – Louis Ling, executive director of the state Board of Medical Examiners, has resigned after being involved in a controversy over the use of medical assistants giving flu shots.

Dan Burns, communications director for Gov. Jim Gibbons, said Ling has quit. Stacy Woodbury, deputy chief of staff for Gibbons, said the governor did not ask for his resignation.

Ling could not be reached for comment. The resignation was announced by Dr. Charles Held, president of the medical examiners board that regulates physicians.

Ling was the second member of that board to quit this week. Board member Jean Stoess resigned after being accused by Ling of leaking a confidential memo to a Las Vegas Sun reporter.

Ling formerly was the executive director of the state Pharmacy Board before resigning to take the job with the medical board about a year ago.

The board, in an emergency meeting Sept. 18, adopted a regulation to stop medical assistants from performing certain services, such as administering the cosmetic drug Botox.

But the regulation allowed medical assistants to give flu shots and vaccinations. A controversy ensued and the board was sued.

District Judge Kathleen Delaney ruled the meeting of the board violated Nevada’s open meetings law when some of its members left in the middle of the meeting to go to lunch without hearing the public comment.

The judge also said the board probably exceeded its authority in adopting the regulation.

After the ruling, Ling said he wasn’t sure what the board should do – either ask for reconsideration by the judge or hold another special meeting to adopt a regulation to permit medical assistants to administer flu shots.

Ling and Dr. Held asked Stoess, of Reno, to resign for providing the e-mail memo to a Las Vegas Sun reporter. Gov. Gibbons also asked for Stoess’ resignation.

While the board was trying to decide what to do, a compromise was worked out to allow medical assistants to give shots under the direct supervision of a physician.

Dr. Held said the board would start a new rule-making process on the use of medical assistants by physicians.