I am an avid reader of your post and articles. I am a 59 year old man with progressive stage III Adhesive Arachnoiditis living in Indian Mound, TN where I recently moved from Mt Pleasant, SC to live with my 32 year old son is stationed at Ft Campbell, Kentucky. I also recently completed robotic surgery to remove cancer cells from my kidney and surrounding organ tissue. I moved here in this past January where I was fortunate to meet Dr. Kroll with CPS (Comprehensive Pain Specialist) located in Clarksville, TN.
I was Blessed to have located a very compassionate Doctor and staff for my pain management needs from 34 years of dealing with pain.
I was notified today that ALL CPS Pain management offices in Tennessee are closing as of July 31, 2018. My understanding is that these offices are owned by one of the Tennesse Senators or lawmakers here in TN. I am new to the are this past 6 months so I am not up to speed with verification of this fact. However it is noteworthy and something I feel needs attention.
No referral information for other Pain Management Doctors or Clinics were provided.
My experience with both my doctors, (Dr Peter Kroll and Dr. Rebekah Pierce) as well as the Staff here at the Clarksville, TN office has been first class. So I was a bit shocked to receive this news with no recommendations or referrals to help in relocating to another PM operation. They are working with me to transfer my records to my PCP and they are still performing a Nerve Ablation procedure on July 25.
I am 59 years old with very serious conditions:
Post operative Cancer 5-21-18
Stage III Adhesive Arachnoiditis
Chronic Pancreatitis
And a number of other very pain related conditions.
Now I am faced with locating a new PMP by July 31, ALONG WITH All the patients from what I believe is over 6 offices in TN.
From what I have read to date, no lawmaker was involved in the Medicare fraud scheme revealed this past April, that possibly led to the closing of ALL CPS pain management operations.
My Concern:
There are literally thousands of Chronic Pain patients now displaced from their doctors, with no help or direction being provided to ensure there is no disruption of life saving medications that provide a modest quality of life. I am Blessed to have a son in the Army to help me get around to locate a new PMP. However, I am among thousands of patients now looking for a new PMP here in Tennessee where PMP are already overloaded with patients. It seems clear that with the closing of all of these offices across the state, the Tennessee Pain Management network of physicians here in TN quite possibly will not be able to take in these thousands of displaced patients.
The lack of knowledge resources and referral resources is astonishing. Thousands of Chronic Pain Patients are now faced with very real fear and anxiety of trying to locate a new PMP in an already overburdened and limited PMP resource here in TN. Recent laws and new guidelines now directed at Chronic Pain patient care in Tennessee have already pushed an already unstable Chronic Pain care network even further into an abyss that is going to very quickly manifest into intolerable stress levels in the newly displaced population of Chronic Pain patients that may very well lead to countless deaths among the TN Chronic Pain community. Some from suicide from patients that finally give up on the TN healthcare system, and then patients that do not have a family support system to help navigate themselves to what Chronic Pain Physicians still exist in TN. It is a given that the vast majority of now displaced patients will be forced to go through an indefinite time period with NO pain medication. ALL Chronic Pain patients are already living with the minimum dosage of pain medication possible because of the abuses of state governments that have avoided, either unintentionally or intentionally, the serious needs of Tennessee Chronic Pain Patients.
People keep getting displaced and thrown out of what may have been years or decades of pain management care by physicians that now have little empathy for displaced Chronic Pain Patients that are from all walks of life. This is heartbreaking. Where is the outrage from Mothers, Fathers, Sisters and Brothers being separated from critical medication and doctors that help provide dignity and a reasonable quality of life for the elderly, disabled and helpless.
You see outrage about Children being temporarily separated from their parents all over TV.
But virtually no real coverage OR outrage at Parents, Sons, Daughters and disabled being placed in jeopardy of real life and death situations because of the lack of adequate pain management. How many here in Tennessee will now die, either from suicide or reactions from being cut off from powerful medications that can clearly result in death among the weak and disabled.
Thank you Steve for reading this and hopefully passing on any advice for the thousands of displaced Chronic Pain patients now in Tennessee.
It is a real shame, because the doctors that treated and managed my Chronic Pain management needs, Dr. Peter Kroll and Dr. Rebekah Pierce were among the best physicians I have ever been Blessed to have in my Life. I feel their lives have probably been turned upside down almost as much as the patients they treated with Compassion and Care. I believe it is CPS itself that has made the decisions now affecting both the doctors and patients soon to be FORMER Doctors and Patients.
IF IN FACT, a senior Lawmaker here in TN is the owner of all CPS locations in the state of TN. Then that Lawmaker should face serious scrutiny into how the closing of these facilities are being handled. VERY serious scrutiny.
I located this information from the BBB:
GOVERNMENT ACTION
The following describes a pending government action that has been formally brought by a government agency but has not yet been resolved. We are providing a summary of the government’s allegations, which have not yet been proven.
According to information on file with BBB, on April 4, 2018, the United States Department of Justice and the Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee issued an indictment on John Davis, former CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialist. Mr. Davis is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks in conjunction with a Federal Health Care Program, and seven counts of paying and receiving health care kickbacks. This matter is still pending. For more details click here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/two-tennessee-health-care-executives-charged-role-46-million-medicare-kickback-scheme
Filed under: General Problems
I have been a patient for 2 1/2 years now. I have been seeing CPS for chronic pain syndrome, (R/L), DDD (R/L), spinal stenosis (L/R), Head Injury, Muscles Spasms, Migraines, High Depression, Highly Anixety (failed test at two different doctors),Facet Artristis (R/L), Neck Pain, Generalized Pain, Polyarthralgia, Short Term Memory, Superpatelle focal sclerosis Ostrechondral defect on Ostreprecrosis,
I am not a candidate for surgery my spine can not be touch mess up that bad. All of this stems all the way back to 1996/1997 each year it gets worst their is no stopping it. It is due to Spinal Meningitis with Bacteria in 1997/1998 I was dignosis with Long Term Spinal Meningitis. (no Dangerous Bacteria) just the damage to body continues).
I researched picked Dr. Kroll. Dr Kroll Started out with medicine. The medication didn’t work keep trying the medications they still didn’t work on me. I was moved to the pain patch didn’t last long, by system kept rejected from my body. Swapping to different medicines again. ( During all of this was about a year not one thing helped my pain. The office would say during my visit, it’s going to be your last resort is going to be the Medtronic 11 Pain Pump). I started researching the Pain Pump asking Questions. They would say last resort. This kept on. Finally I gave in. It has been the worst mistake of my life. Oh! What a mistake. I have cried and cried. I have out more pain to my body that was uncalled for. List to CPS emplyees and Doctor. Plus Dr. Kroll was supposed to do the surgery some other doctor came in to do my surgery. (Very nice but that doctor did not check on me till I would walk was in the Hall. The rest of the time Nurse Practionor did. I have had nothing but unbelievable uncalled for pain. Now this medicine didn’t work and here we go swapping medicine again. Now the Nirse Practicor said you can cut it off and start back on medication again see if it will work. Really it quit working the first time. I guess the Nurse Practicor thought it would be a miracle and work this time.
I went to the doctor today 4/2/19. I have had triple the anixety and depression, sleep 20 out of 24 hours a day. Sit up fall a sleep landing on my head and busted it. That’s happen twice. My left foot from my knee goes numb all the way to toes. Fills like it is paralyzed I catch myself draping it sometimes. When I put my foot down it weighs 3 tons. Now on top of all this and all what has happen at the office CPS now Theprix closing 4/30/19. Where is my medical records. I have one a mile long. Give me only Two doctors that do the pumps. First time when CPS was closing these doctors referrals was only 2 days in advance. For Therpix was 28 days they gave me tiny pack of records and told me their closing. Only reason I had a doctors appt today.
I decided and I told them today the Metronic Pump is coming out period. I can not take no more of it Pain , Pump no working, I can not breath Good, fill like my chest and head is going to explode 24/7, the Metronic pump flipping like a baby inside my stomach, stress from CPS the again 3/14/19 in the newspaper internet this will sound crazy and hard to believe Therpix now closing more stress.
I am scared to death, My health has gone down tremously since all of this. Like I said I would be better off trying to tolerance the pain. But fighting the pain for 20+ years. It is tremously hard to kept fighting without help.
I put my life in Dr Krolls hands and office and never had a non trust with him or them. Except putting baby steps in my pump and for two weeks I went everyday. I told them this was ridiculous just get me a bed here. R.K. Told me they should had turn it up a lot more on those visits and I wouldn’t had to come in daily. Everyday I went drug test. I took 10 in two weeks. Until now. Why did Dr Kroll and A couple of more. Put the company, company name, patients lives, and out trust pushed it out of the window. For them to keep saying their worried about our well being and drug test protecting us. You wasn’t to worried. The Doctors were just worried of one thing MONEY OF ALL EVIL!! BEING SELFISH, a little isn’t enough more money more money, making sure your checking account was topping with Decimals. Why I am out here thinking I am going to lose my life from all the problems I have from this Metronic Pump, High voltage of Anixety, Depression sleeping 20/24 hours, crying, and hating my life hurting and can’t do nothing. Because it takes to long to recovery and the pain is unbearable and hasn’t been fixed just more added to it, losing 2 1/2 years of my life dealing with everything and haven’t been fixed not once. BUT FEAR
Gee why aren’t these false addiction warehouses being investigated and charged as well??Kolodyn w/his new definition of addiction,,solely to make the innocent guilty of a crime or discreditation they did not commit,,,by deeming them addicts on their permanat medical record..Along w/the new word Long Term Opiate use disorder,,,but why are thee Addiction manufacturers not being charge as well for falsifying bills for medicare??This MANUFACTURED ,THUS FAKE opiate EPIDEMIC IS A FRAUD,,,SOOO HOW MUCH IS MEDICARE BEING CHARGED FOR THIS FRAUD??IT IS AGAINST THE LAW ALSO,,,TO CHARGE ANYONE ON TRUMP UP CHARGES SUCH AS THESE,,,,,SOO,,,,WHY ISN’T ANYONE CHARGING THE ADDICTION WAREHOUSES IN TENNESSE?Yea the dea is practicing medicine when they take away the doctors whom our m.d.’s,,and give nothing in replacement.The dea has now decided what type of medical care all of these patients are to receive,by their actions,,by taking away the medical doctor who treated them,,,Again the dea is practicing medicine,,,maryw
I, too was a patient at CPS, with Rebekah as my provider. I have been seeing her every 2 months for the last 2 years for cervical disc disease. I am at a loss as to what is going to happen now and very worried. I feel as if I a clock is ticking down. I also feel that I am at combat with the thousands of others who will be fighting for their chance to be seen at the clinics as well. I’m so worried. I lived in pain for so long, I just don’t want to do that again.
More chronic pain refugees abandoned and left to suffer. This is just despicable. In my small southern town, a PM doctor just had his license suspended for the third time. (First time in CA. Second time here but he he suffered a psychiatric breakdown and was sent to a psychiatric hospital to get his medication sorted out).
This third time is due to the fact that a former patient of his (who he had dismissed as a patient prior to the incident) either sold or gave his medication to 20-something year old young lady who ended up dying from an overdose.
She also had many other illicit substances in her system at the time of her death, including alcohol and illicitly-produced drugs like meth, which still is widely abused and easily found in my area), had previously been admitted into drug rehabilitation facilities numerous times, and had left her young daughter for her parents to raise.
So this former patient, who already broke the law by misrepresenting himself and lying to a doctor about having pain, once again broke the law by giving (or selling) the medication that doctor had prescribed (in good faith and with no intent to harm) to him prior to figuring out the patient had been conning him the entire time.
The medication was then voluntarily ingested (in large amounts) by another person, who had already diagnosed with a mental health illness (IIRC bipolar disorder), had already been in trouble with the law and ordered to rehab more than once and was attempting to continue self-medicating by ingesting potentially-addictive illicit substances, along with alcohol and someone’s else’s prescription medicine she was either given or had bought.
And this doctor is now being blamed for her death (not by law enforcement but by our state medical board and many people who lives in this area). Seriously, I can’t how human beings can become so ignorant. While it is extremely sad that she passed away, it is no one’s fault but her own. (In no way am I trying to imply that she “deserved” to die, but when you play with fire, you might get burned).
So now we have many chronic pain patients who’ve been abandoned due to excessive restrictions imposed by state and federal bureaucrats. We have one other PM doctor who practices locally just one day a week (with a 6 month or longer waiting list).
No doctor in this area will take on any of these patients to either continue prescribing the medication until they’re able to find another doctor willing to take them on as a patient or safely wean them down. As soon as any doctors in this area finds out that their previous doctor was Dr. X, these patients are turned down.
Making matters worse, kratom is banned in our state (though fortunately, we are located about 25 to 30 miles from the state border where it is legal in the next state). MMJ was finally voted for by the people (in 2016), however, bureaucratic red take is keeping it from being available (legally). I know it’s not effective for everyone (including myself). I’m also afraid it will be too expensive for many to afford.
And some wonder why the suicide rates are now at a 30 year high and overdose death rates from illicitly-produced opioids (usually heroin and illicit fentanyl) have skyrocketed to over 500 percent (untreated chronic severe pain can make one desperate for relief. That’s not addiction. It’s desperation for pain relief).
No, it’s SIXTY offices in several states. I understand that 3 are closing in KY, for one example.
This is a disaster! I hope this patient has an understanding PCP who will continue his prescriptions until he is able to establish himself with a new PM doc. He might consider crossing into KY and search here too, since he lives near Ft Campbell.
Just read another article stating that this group has 29 offices, all closing.