REQUIRE GEORGIA BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICINE TO SEND COMPLAINANT THE VETERINARIAN’S RESPONSE!

“Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices”  Lord Byron, Inscription on the Monument of a Newfoundland Dog

REQUIRE THE GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICINE TO AUTOMATICALLY SEND THE COMPLAINANT A COPY OF THE VETERINARIAN’S RESPONSE TO A COMPLAINT!

The American Veterinary Medical Association advocates against litigation which may result in significant costs to veterinarians and their clients which ultimately affects all animals requiring veterinary care.  In a harmful public policy, courts are being asked to determine licensed veterinarian violations.  The Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine does not send the complainant a copy of the veterinarian’s response when a disciplinary complaint is filed against a veterinarian.  However, the veterinarian has access to the complaint.  Some states such as North Dakota, Maryland, West Virginia and Texas send the complainant a copy of the licensed veterinarian’s response to a complaint.  The Georgia Board of Veterinary Medicine needs to send a complainant a copy of a licensed veterinarian’s response to ensure the mission of the AVMA and the standards of the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine are maintained.

I filed a complaint against a veterinarian with the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine.  The Georgia State Veterinary Board did not send me a copy of the licensed veterinarian’s response to my complaint.  My complaint was dismissed as “No Violation.” Subsequently, I learned that the Board rules had required certain action.  Although the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine acknowledged its oversight, and advised Dr. Jory Olsen that he could be subject to veterinary board discipline, when Dr. Olsen did not fully comply with the request, he was never sanctioned by the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine.  The Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine advised I should seek civil litigation against Dr. Jory Olsen.  However, Dr. Olsen sought immunity from the court based on his status as a licensed veterinarian. The Court advised I should seek disciplinary action from the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine. Almost fourteen months after my dog was initially treated by the veterinarian, Dr. Jory Olsen allowed me to review his response to the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine. At that time, I learned that after the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine informed Dr. Olsen that I had filed a veterinary complaint against him, that he filed a false police report against me related to his refusal to release my dog’s veterinary records.  I also learned that he sent a written statement intentionally lying to the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine.  Although Dr. Olsen’s veterinary records show that I was not passive in seeking veterinary care from his practice over a six day period, Dr. Olsen intentionally misled the Board otherwise. Even more so, although a laboratory report clearly indicated the time that Dr. Olsen received the report, and a licensed veterinarian in another state confirmed the time on the report was accurate, Dr. Olsen informed the Georgia State Veterinary Board, while disparaging another veterinarian, that he received the results at a different time.  Further, although Dr. Olsen admitted that he had not complied with standards as an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association, the standard for veterinary excellence) accredited veterinary practice, Dr. Jory Olsen did not refund my money for services that he admitted were not properly performed.  At that time, it was obvious from his misleading response that he did not give the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine all of his veterinary records for my dog.  Prior to my veterinary complaint with the Georgia Board of Veterinary Medicine, I had tried to amicably resolve my concerns with Dr. Olsen and I was told to “sue” him wherein Dr. Olsen was in direct violation of AVMA, GVMA (Georgia Veterinary Medical Association), Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine and AAHA accreditation standards and rules that Dr. Olsen must maintain as a licensed veterinarian. Dr. Jory Olsen’s actions, as a licensed veterinarian, to force litigation were adversarial to the AVMA’s mission to decrease veterinary litigation.  Dr. Olsen, after he knew that he would not be disciplined by the veterinary board, showed me his response to my complaint against him as a licensed veterinarian which included Dr. Olsen’s false police report along with a written fabrication of his veterinary care of my dog.  After I informed the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine that Dr. Olsen allowed me to review his response to the veterinary board, the Board maintained it would still not discipline Dr. Jory Olsen even though Dr. Jory Olsen had violated at minimum 12 State of Georgia Veterinary Board rules.  With veterinarians as Dr. Jory Olsen acting as a fox guarding the hen house in response to a veterinary complaint, it is directly resulting in higher costs to veterinarians, clients and especially animals that require veterinary care.  In Collins v Newman, 237 Ga. App. 861, 517 S.E. 2d 100 (1999), the Georgia Court of Appeals acknowledged, “…Newman’s allege failure to release veterinary records that Collins asserts would have supported her malpractice claim.”  This is in direct violation of Board rules. 

Licensed veterinarians are licensed by the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine.  Although Dr. Jory Olsen was in clear violation of at minimum 12 Board Rules as a licensed veterinarian, Dr. Jory Olsen did not even receive a letter of concern as there was “no violation” and no disciplinary action.   Even after Dr. Olsen was informed that he could face disciplinary action and be subject to a fine, when he still did not fully comply, there was no disciplinary action or fine against Dr. Jory Olsen.  Establishing and maintaining a veterinary standard based on the requirements as a licensed veterinarian by the state of Georgia should not provide a privilege to such disparagement of the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine, other veterinarians, his clients and his animal patients and as a licensed veterinarian operating on his own terms against the mission of the AVMA and the standards of the AVMA, GVMA, AAHA and Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine.

Ultimately, six years after my dog’s initial treatment, Dr. Olsen provided me a copy of some other documents that a court, three years earlier, had previously ordered Dr. Olsen to provide to me.   Dr. Olsen’s actions are adversarial to other veterinarians, clients and animals and disparages the very concern that the AVMA addresses in veterinary malpractice litigation cases.   Throughout the court case, Dr. Olsen did not comply with the court because of his status as a “licensed veterinarian.”  I was informed that although Dr. Jory Olsen is an internal medicine diplomate at an accredited AAHA practice that I should have taken my dog to another veterinarian, any other veterinarian.  

What is the standard for veterinary medicine in the state of Georgia?  It is imperative to the veterinary profession, to clients, and most importantly to the animal patients that every complainant to the veterinary board is automatically provided a copy of the licensed veterinarian’s response to the Board to ensure that a veterinarian, such as Dr. Jory Olsen, maintains the standard that is required, and not optional, for a licensed veterinarian practicing in the state of Georgia.

Please ask that the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine will make the necessary changes required to automatically provide to the complainant a copy of a veterinarian’s response to the complaint.    

Sincerely, thank you.

Stephanie Childers