Article archive / October 1, 2014
Originally published: . Volume 5, No. 14. Source pages: 1, 3, 4.
Stream of Requests for Patterson, Democratic Process Emails Point to LAMP in Recent LSBEP Appointment, Not DHH
Almost 40 letters in support of Dr. Constance Patterson and the democratic process apparently were not enough to overcome the political influence of two names listed in one obscure interdepartmental email.
“Bud Courson and James Quillin recommend Dr. Comaty for appointment.”
Mr. Courson is the lobbyist for the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists (LAMP) Political Action Committee, and Dr. Quillin, a Medical Psychologist, is a key leader in LAMP and Chair of the Medical Psychologist Advisory Committee for the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
The single reference to the two men showed up in an attachment email, when Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Kathy Kliebert responded back to an email about the two appointees. The original email, from an administration assistant to Boards & Commissions Director, Barker Dirmann, noted that Patterson was recommended by the President of Tulane, Representative Pat Smith, and the school psychology association. Comaty, the memo noted, was recommended by Bud Courson and James Quillin.
Also, what looks like an attempt by Boards & Commissions Director Barker Dirmann to redirect attention away from LAMP politics by floating the idea that Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) was pushing for Comaty’s appointment, was dispelled by an email from Kliebert.
Kliebert responded that either Patterson or Comaty was acceptable. And in another exchange, after Kliebert was alerted to rumors that DHH was supporting Comaty, Kliebert contacted Dirmann and asked to speak with him about the matter.
The emails were released by Boards & Commissions in response to a public documents request by the Times and provide the bread crumbs in what some view as one of the most bizarre elections for the psychology board any can remember.
Dr. Comaty sent over 30 pages of communications to Boards & Commissions with complaints that included his concerns about possible election tampering by members of the Louisiana Psychological Association. This triggered three balloting cycles.
Comaty also complained that his opponent had a conflict of interest, an idea aggressively picked up by the psychology board and elevated to the state Ethics board. The concern was dismissed, but appeared in a number of updates to Boards & Commissions from the psychology board’s Executive Director, Ms. Kelly Parker. Several sources have confirmed that Parker expressed a preference for Comaty. And, in another release of emails, Dr. Comaty had candidly complained to Parker about those opposing him, saying, “Well, I hope that the new year will bring new opportunities to rid LPA of these malicious members.”
Opposition to Comaty centers in part around his actions in 2011 when he was chair of the psychology board. He was asked by representatives from the state medical board to reverse his own opinion and rule to allow medical psychologists, those without a state psychology license, to qualify as supervisors for psychology interns. Comaty and the board agreed, making Louisiana the only state in the U.S. with such an arrangement and running counter to the state psychology practice act.
If the documents released by Boards & Commissions are an indication, the drama surrounding the recent election did not draw much interest or make much of difference in the final appointment.
Boards & Commissions Emails
In a Friday, July 25, interdepartmental email, Barker Dirmann, Director of Boards & Commissions wrote to Carol Lee asking to have DHH Assistant Secretary, Dr. Rochelle Head- Dunham review the two names, Patterson and Comaty.
In this email he listed Dr. Constance Patterson first and Dr. Joe Comaty as “Alternate.”
“Carol, Can you please submit the following recommendation to Dr. Dunham for her review,” Dirmann wrote. The memo noted:
“Constance K. Patterson, PhD., of New Orleans, is a professor in practice in the Psychology Department at Tulane University. Patterson is a licensed psychologist and a certified school psychologist. Patterson was the top vote getter for the board seat which is scheduled to become vacant at the end of the month. Patterson is recommended by the President of Tulane University Scott Cowen, the Louisiana School of Psychological Association (sic) and Representative Pat Smith.”
Then under the heading of “Alternate,” he wrote: “Joseph Comaty, Ph.D., of Baton Rouge, is currently practicing as a private consultant. Dr. Comaty previously served as the Chief Psychologist for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals’ Office of Behavioral Health.”
No mention was made of Mr. Courson or Dr. Quillin.
Ms. Lee responded on Thursday, July 31: “There are no known issues with the provided nominees listed below,” she wrote, “according to DHH data bases and staff.” (Lee noted that Patterson needed to update her address on a Registry.)
On Monday, July 28, in a different email exchange, Dirmann’s administrative assistant wrote to DHH Secretary Kathy Kliebert and asked Kliebert, “Could you please review the names below and let me know what you think?”
The email included possible appointees for three boards and all but the psychology board candidates were separated from the email according to open records laws.
This time Joe Comaty’s name was listed first and Patterson was listed as “Alternate.”
One additional sentence was included: “Bud Courson and James Quillin recommend Dr. Comaty for appointment.”
Kliebert responded in about 10 minutes from her iPhone saying, “These all look good to me.”
Several sources previously noted to the Times that Mr. Dirmann had stated DHH was putting pressure on the Governor’s Office to appoint Dr. Comaty. This was reported as a rumor in the Times. (See “Rumors Flying in Delayed LSBEP Appointment,” August issue.)
Dr. John Fanning, Past-President of the Louisiana Psychological Association attended a meeting on August 6 with Mr. Dirmann.
“I don’t know if ‘putting pressure’ is the exact right phrasing,” Fanning told the Times last week in a phone interview, “but it was something like that. It wasn’t confusing or ambiguous,” Fanning said.
Mr. Dirmann has declined to be interviewed and his public relations representative has not responded to requests for an interview to clarify the matter.
According to emails Secretary Kliebert was alerted to the rumor both through emails circulating among psychologists and also by a story in the Psychology Times that was also forwarded to her. She wrote to Dirmann, “Please call me about below and attached.”
A request to interview Ms. Kliebert has not been returned.
Psychologists Write In
The stream of emails to the Governor’s office included those from licensed psychologists, two state psychology organizations, three legislators, and the psychology chair and president of Tulane. Thirty-nine letters were received by Boards & Commissions asking the Governor to appoint Patterson. There were no letters in the release supporting Dr. Comaty.
Of note was a letter to Boards & Commissions by Tulane President Scott Owen. Owen wrote “… on behalf of Tulane University.” He mentioned Patterson’s multicultural interests, her collaborative style, and her focus in professional ethics, and said she would be an asset to the LSBEP and public protection.
State Representative Patricia Haynes Smith voiced her support for Patterson, writing, “Dr. Patterson is a culturally competent servant and has dedicated her career to serving the youth of Louisiana.” Senator David Heitmeier and Representative Kirk Talbot also wrote in support of Patterson.
The Louisiana Psychological Association wrote and asked for Patterson to be appointed, as the top vote getter.
And, the Louisiana School Psychological Association President, Candice Dozier wrote encouraging the appointment of Patterson, pointing out that Patterson had served as president “… demonstrating excellent leadership and collaboration skills.” And, “Given the breadth of her work in the field of psychology, she will bring to the board insight into the role of school psychologists and the part they play in the academic and social/emotional success of the children of Louisiana influencing their far-reaching impact on society.”
Dozier also noted and praised Patterson’s twenty years of experience and knowledge as a facilitator of collaboration among those in the psychological fields, pointing to it as a strength.
Letters from individual psychologists included comments supporting Patterson, “Dr. Patterson has performed admirably in contributing to her community,” requests to honor the combined wisdom of the voters, “Psychologists vote for the Board members with the idea that the person will best represent and facilitate” professional standards, and also criticism of Comaty, “… had demonstrated an inability to deal well with the larger community.”
There was a common theme requesting the Governor’s Office to honor the voters, one psychologist writing it was needed “To restore the integrity of the boards and commissions appointment process.” A medical psychologist wrote to support the democratic process and appoint the person with the higher vote.
After the appointment on August 14, Dr. Comaty wrote in thanking the officials for the appointment and their continued trust in him.
LAMP Influence
The single mention of Dr. Jim Quillin and lobbyist Bud Courson points to the political forces that have characterized the board appointments since the passage of Act 251 in 2009. Act 251 repealed the 2004 law that gave the psychology board the authority to qualify psychologists to prescribe medication. The new law placed Medical Psychologists under the state medical board, although they may retain their psychology license if they choose to do so.
Dr. Quillin helped design Act 251 in collaboration with the Medical Board and Courson Nickel helped lobby for its passage.
Controversy arose at that time because the political goals were kept from members of the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA). Later it was discovered that lobbyists’ fees of $72,000 per year were paid from funds in LPA and the American Psychological Association, and this included Act 251. (See “Who Paid for Act 251 and Why?” Sept. ’12 Times.)
LAMP remains a client of Courson Nickel. Mr. Courson lists LAMP Political Action Committee (PAC) as a client. Medical Psychologists make regular contributions to the PAC. In March 2014 Dr. Quillin contributed $750 and in April 2014 Dr. Comaty contributed $750 to the PAC. The Involvement of LSBEP
There was nothing in the interoffice emails that adds any more clarity to the activity in the election process and the post- election activity by the psychology board.
Ms. Parker, Executive Director of the Psychology Board emailed Mr. Dirmann several times asking for information about the appointment, and also forwarded him the board’s communications to the Ethics Administration.
The Times submitted a request for documents and communications between the psychology board and officials at DHH, after one source close to the board suggested that DHH had an influence on the board’s decisions. Later, however, the source retracted this idea.
Following a lead that DHH may have had a role in some of the election matters, the Times requested public documents from the LSBEP on August 21. The board responded on September 8 that the request was unduly burdensome, having generated over 900 documents, and so was denied.
The Times resubmitted and narrowed the request. The board responded on September 23 that there were no documents matching this request.
The Executive Director wrote back, “Please be advised that there is no such communication. The LSBEP has not interacted with DHH regarding the election, appointment (including candidates Comaty/Patterson), recusal or temporary appointment by the Governor.” It is still not clear on what foundation the board based its public statements regarding the top vote getter in the recent election. (See story, “Psychology Board Refuses to Disclose Its Legal Rationale,” in July Times.)
The psychology board has declined or ignored several requests for an interview, but agreed to discuss the issue at their September meeting. The Executive Director emailed the Times on September 26, noting, “The Board discussed responses to media requests at today's meeting. I regret to inform you that the Board Chair has declined your interview request at this time,” she wrote.
“However, the Board has created a workgroup to create policies and procedures for responses to media requests,” she noted. “In the meantime, the Board will continue to accept letters from individual psychologists who seek guidance/advice, send out newsletters, hold open meetings, and respond to public records requests in accordance with the law.”
In a newsletter published on September 29, the board welcomed Dr. Comaty. He wrote that he was honored to be appointed for a second term. He also noted, “I am also a Medical Psychologist licensed independently by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME). Contrary to the thinking of some licensees, I do not see this added license as in any way imposing a conflict on my duties and responsibilities as a member of LSBEP, […].”
Dr. Jim Quillin discusses matters at a previous meeting of the Medical Psychology Advisory Committee, part of the state medical board, where he is current Chair. Dr. Warren Lowe is listening. A previous meeting of the Medical Psychology Advisory Committee, a committee that helps the state medical board develop regulations for Medical Psychologists. L to R: Former Executive Director, Dr. Robert Marier, medical psycholgists Dr. Warren Lowe, and Dr. James Quillin. Dr. Quillin was said to have recommended the appointment of Dr. Joseph Comaty in the recent political battle over the psychology board. 2011 psychology board, chaired by Dr. Joe Comaty. L to R: Dr. Tony Young, Dr. Comaty, Dr. Rita Culross (facing away) Dr. Lee Matthews, Dr. John Courtney, and then Executive Director, Jaime Monic.
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