Thread: Surgeon says deport illegal immigrants after treatment

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Surgeon says deport illegal immigrants after treatment

By Renee Wells
For The Times-News

BURLEY - A Burley surgeon wants Mini-Cassia to put some teeth in indigent medical programs in both counties - teeth that would bite illegal aliens who seek medical help but never return for follow-up care or pay for the service.

Dr. Joseph Petersen told Minidoka County commissioners Monday that both hospitals, Cassia Regional Medical Center and Minidoka Memorial Hospital, should require illegal aliens to be deported once they are either healed or released from hospital care. He said this would mean a reduction of serious injuries left without follow-up in both counties.

"These people come in after they've gotten into a drunken brawl and get emergency treatment, then we never see them again," Petersen said. "It ends up on the county indigent rolls when no one gets paid, and we need to follow up on the injuries, too."

Petersen suggested that any emergency case resulting from drunkenness or fights require the victim to provide proof of legal status and a name of an employer.

"I know we have HIPPA, but the fact of the matter is that when someone comes in with a knife wound, that is a felony and there is no such thing as rights to privacy in such situations," Petersen said.

"We need to have those who are in the country illegally know that if they aren't willing to have their cases followed up, then the option will be to be deported back to Mexico once they've been treated and are ready to leave the hospital."

County Clerk Duane Smith said the hospital has not been willing to crack down on document issues because of their status as a service organization, but Petersen said illegal activities should be reported.

He suggested the counties once again attempt to take the issue to the Legislature. A bill posed last year would have placed liability on employers for a worker's legal status violations, but it was killed before it got through committee.

Commissioner Marvin Bingham said he thought it was because the idea of placing liability on farmers was unpopular.

"I don't think it's a good idea to do that because then those people won't get any treatment and we'll end up having them in the emergency rooms in worse condition," Commissioner Dan Stapelman said.

Petersen said he thought such a plan would send them elsewhere to Twin Falls, Jerome or American Falls, for treatment if they know they may get deported by seeking care at the local hospitals.

Petersen said he was not concerned about a status issue in every case, but expressly when fights or other illegal activity are associated with the injuries.

Commissioners agreed the issue could be discussed during the counties' next combined meeting.

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/200 ... tate.4.txt

It shouldn't be long before the illegal activist want the doctor's head for racist remarks.