https://wtov9.com/news/local/patients-left-to-search-for-new-pain-care-after-doctor-arrested
BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio — After three doctors of area pain clinics were arrested, patients were left with no care and without medicine.
Some are having a hard time coping.
“They said sorry, good luck to you and sent me on my way,” said patient, Doug Connor.
“They told me the office is closed and they can’t see me anymore,” said another patient, Shiree Valine.
Patients of Dr. Troy Balgo discussed their concerns since his arrest last week.
Balgo is the Belmont County Coroner, and he also operates two medical clinics in St. Clairsville: Valley Medical Management of Pain and the Belmont Urgent Care Center.
DEA agents, the FBI, the Ohio Pharmacy Board and local law enforcement conducted raids at both offices, along with two other locations belonging to doctors Freeda Flynn and Thomas Romano.
Since their arrests, patients are wondering where to turn.
“I still have meds for like another week. I don’t know what it’s going to be like a week from now, but it’s not going to be a positive feeling,” said Connor.
“Lately, my hands and feet have been swelling up from not having my medication,” Valine said.
It’s tough to cope without pain relief, and even harder for their families.
“It just makes you feel some type of way because I have to watch my mom suffer,” said Valine’s son, Austin.
Rick Massatti, with the State Opioid Treatment Authority, was on scene the day of the raids. He coordinated patient care and provided a list of other providers in Ohio and West Virginia.
“We recognize some of these facilities we’re referring people to might have wait lists, not accept their insurance, might be far away, might have roadblocks, but we are committed to ensuring continuity of care with the patients,” said Massatti.
Naloxone was provided at each site during the raids.
If patients are having trouble getting into a facility, here’s the next step—
“The first person you should talk to is your family doctor. They are going to be the ones to know the resources in the areas of which they live,” Massati affirmed.
Here’s a list of pain management clinics in the Ohio area:
- Columbiana County: Thomas & Husain Medical Associates Inc., East Liverpool, OH reached at 330-385-4004
- Guernsey County: Michael Sayegh M.D. Cambridge, OH reached at 740-607-8296
- Tuscarawas County: Occupational Medicine Center of Tuscarawas County, LLC. New Philadelphia, OH reached at 330-339-9211
Filed under: General Problems
Patient care, concerning pain management with opiate medication and synthetic opioids, as the last and ONLY way to manage lifelong pain IS being systematically prohibited without ANY concern for the pain management patient……period. I realize that I am supposed to love thy neighbor as thyself but, some day…..some of these same S.O.B.’s that have come up with such an idea that the same dosage, very small dosage, will meet the pain management needs of ALL patients, will need, themselves…. an effective dosage of MEDICATION. Medication that some 20 to 30 million American people (now) have used safely and effectively for years and decades without ANY type negative incident, lawfully OR physically. I hope they find themselves in the same boat as the millions but, I doubt they have to “follow the rules” the same way as the American pain management citizen.. I can not blame the “field agents” for following orders but, the “experts” that have conceived the way to save money AND at the same time rid society of the people with pain management needs for opioid medication will face the same challenges as we, the millions now face.This IS simply a way to “cull” people/patients completely out of society. No one VERY small group of “experts “concerning medication dosage should have the “authority” to write a “guideline” behind closed doors, get the backing from another “expert” that suboxone or ANY other medication equivalent will meet the pain management REQUIREMENT needs of known pain generating health conditions. I get so tired of “waking” …EARLY every morning ( because of inability to sleep) to find that another group of care givers, MEDICATION dispensers, and patients have come under attack. I hope and pray that these folks depending on pain management MEDICATION will find another source of “legal” MEDICATION soon and close by.
Somebody is still not getting the message…