Had my son died today, the head of the Georgia Composite Medical Board, after reviewing the case, said he would have called the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look at the case.
But because he died when the board didn’t take our case seriously, the GBI wasn’t called. On the one hand, I feel vindicated. On the other hand, it’s infuriating that the government displayed this level of incompetence, and there is no recourse.
Now, the Georgia Composite Medical Board said it cannot release more details about the case, hiding behind what it says is a state law that bars it from releasing information.
While it is too late for my son, it’s apparent the state needs to look into what is nothing less than a systemic failure. State leaders must stand up, address the board’s longstanding problems, and publicly assert that they have been fixed and won’t re-emerge.
But that won’t happen until those in the state government, including elected officials and bureaucrats at the Georgia Composite Medical Board and other state agencies, publicly acknowledge that the state hasn’t always lived up to its promise to keep Georgians safe and stem infant mortality. It can’t happen until state leaders look into those previously involved with the agency.
Based on my conversations, there doesn’t appear to be an appetite to understand why the agency failed so many Georgians. Perhaps it’s because the topic will not generate positive headlines; maybe it’s because the answers will be too troubling.
Until state leaders clarify their position, the reason why is nothing more than conjecture.
Infant mortality is a frequent talking point, a problem they purport to want to solve. But dig deeper and ask politicians for tangible solutions for solving infant mortality. They tend to want to throw more money at the problem and tacitly acknowledge they have no solutions.
Money doesn’t solve every problem. It will rarely solve a problem if those in charge don’t seek to understand why it happened in the first place and why it persisted for so long.
Recent audits from the Georgia Department of Audits & Accounts have made clear that the Georgia Composite Medical Board doesn’t serve Georgians and has fallen short of its stated goals. Part of the problem is that the agency hasn’t even been able to state with certainty how many cases it investigates and how they are adjudicated.
As the Georgia General Assembly resumes its work, elected lawmakers should take a long, hard look at the Georgia Composite Medical Board. Based on my personal experience over the past eight years, I doubt they will.
However, consider this: If a state cannot stand up and protect its most vulnerable, who can it protect? Remember that the next time a politician in this state says we need to address infant mortality.
