The Kansas Meadowlark

March 30, 2008
(Updated Apr 3, 2008)

Members of Kansas Board of Healing Arts Gave Nearly $25,000 to Gov. Sebelius' Campaigns

A recent five-part series by the Topeka Capital-Journal identified several serious problems in the effectiveness of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.  This was a welcome series about the problems with this Board, but the series failed to ask about the political money and allegiance of the Board members that contributed nearly $25,000 to Gov. Sebelius.  Without better transparency on the workings of this Board, the public will never know when conflicts of interest may be involved in the decisions this Board makes.

 

A recent five-part series by the Topeka Capital-Journal identified several serious problems in the effectiveness of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. This was a welcome series about the problems with this Board, but the series failed to ask about the political money and allegiance of the Board members that contributed nearly $25,000 to Gov. Sebelius.  Is Sebelius more interested in appointing her contributors to positions in Kansas government, or is she more interested in ensuring doctors in Kansas are providing adequate health care?

The following table show the board members of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts and their political contributions:

Notable Political Contributions by 
Members of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts

Board Member City Party Political Contributions
Betty McBride Columbus Democrat Kathleen Sebelius: $400 in 2002-2006
Vinton K. Arnett Hays Democrat Kathleen Sebelius $3000 in 2003-2006
Michael J. Beezley Lenexa Republican Eric Carter for Insurance Commissioner $100 in 2005
Ray N. Conley Overland Park Republican Kathleen Sebelius $3300 in 1994-2006; Paul Morrison $400 in 2005-2006
Gary Counselman Topeka Republican Kathleen Sebelius $8350 in 1994-2006
Myra J. Christopher Fairway Democrat Paul Morrison $125 in 2006; Planned Parenthood Advisory Board

Myra Christopher has been instrumental in the push towards legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia by her collaborative efforts with bioethicists and medical professionals, funded by billionaire donors and by legislative and public policy changes in the U.S.
Frank Galbraith Wichita Republican Judith Loganbill (D for State Rep) $350 2004-2006.
M.J. "Boo" Hodges Salina Democrat wife Melissa has given $1400 to Sebelius in 1996-2006 and $50 to ProKanDo PAC in 2005
Sue Ice Newton Unaffiliated Paul Morrison $50 in 2006; Board member of Kansas Alliance for Education 
M Myron Leinwetter Rossville Republican No known contributions 
Mark A McCune Overland Park Republican Patricia Colloton for State Rep 2003-2006
Caroline M Soria Wichita Unaffiliated  No known contributions 
Roger D. Warren Hanover Republican No known contributions; wife, Linda, appointed by Sebelius to be on University of Kansas "The Advancement Board" with Mark Parkinson and Dick Bond
Nancy J. Welsh Berryton Unaffiliated Sebelius $7500 in 2002-2007; Paul Morrison $100 2007
Ronald N Whitmer Ellsworth Democrat Sebelius $500 in 2002

 

Executive Director of Kansas State Board of Healing Arts

Lawrence T Buening, Jr

Executive Director

 Topeka Democrat Sebelius $50 in 1997 and $50 in 2002.

Wife, Vicki, gave Sebelius $250 in 2006, $250 in 2002, $250 in 2001, $100 in 1998, and $50 (with husband) in 1997.  Vicki Buening also gave Paul Morrison $250 in 2006, and the Kansas Democratic Party $250 in 2007.

Wife, Vicki Buening, is Sebelius' Director of Constituent Services and is part of the personal staff of the Governor under KSA 25-4169A
Mark Stafford

General Counsel

 Topeka Republican Wife, Karen, gave $100 to Paul Morrison in 2006

 

Source:  Kansas Governmental Ethics

 

Possible Conflicts of Interest by Board Members and Key Staff in SSI Statements
 (Outside their own business/practice)

Board Member Information from Statements of Substantial Interest (SSI) 
from the Kansas Secretary of State
Betty McBride SSI 4/11/2007.
Vinton K. Arnett SSI 4/7/2007.  Wife is involved in kidney dialysis business in Hays.
Michael J. Beezley SSI 5/31/2007.
Ray N. Conley SSI 4/9/2007.
Gary Counselman SSI 4/30/2007
Myra J. Christopher Cannot find an online SSI.
Frank Galbraith SSI 4/27/2007.  Galbraith's main business is a Podiatry Clinic, but has business interests in Surgicare of Wichita, MRI Centers in Hutchinson and Wichita (AMI Hutchinson and Heartland Open MRI), and Kansas Surgery Recovery Center in Wichita.
M.J. "Boo" Hodges SSI 6/4/2007.
Sue Ice SSI 4/14/2007.  Husband, Theodore B Ice, is still employed by the Judicial System of the State of Kansas.  Sue Ice was on the Board of the Newton Medical Center until Nov 2005, but husband is still on the Board of Directors.
M Myron Leinwetter Cannot find an online SSI.
Mark A McCune SSI 4/29/2007.
Caroline M Soria Soria is employed by Via Christi Regional Medical Center, but is also on the Board of Directors of the Riverside Health Foundation. 

Husband, Steve K Couch, is on the Board of Directors of WPPA  (WPPA is now ProviDRs Care Network, which is a Kansas Preferred Provider Organization serving the entire state of Kansas)
Roger D. Warren SSI 5/23/2007.
Nancy J. Welsh SSI 4/30/2007.  Secretary of Shawnee County Medical Society.
Ronald N Whitmer SSI 4/19/2007.
Lawrence T Buening, Jr SSI 4/20/2007.  
Mark Stafford SSI 4/2/2008.  Mark is on the Board of Directors for Luther Gardens.  Spouse involved with Health Services corporation and Stormont-Vail Hospital.  

 

Several of these online SSI reports are multi-page TIFFs ( instead of PDFs), which makes them
difficult to view with many image display programs.

A posting to the last Topeka Capital-Journal article in the series is troubling:

Sue Ice is one of the three "community members" of KSBHA. She is the wife of retired Harvy County District Court Judge Theodor Ice. Thedore Ice is on the board of directors of Newton Healthcare Corporation (Newton Hospital). I would consider the Ices to be medical insiders who has much to lose if doctors staffing the hospital should be sanctioned.

If we checked the records we might find that Sue Ice should have rescused herself from some situations coming before the KSBHA.

Since the KSBHA...... NEVER......NEVER.....
posts minutes of Board meetings on the KSBHA websight..... it is impossible to know if anyone has a conflict-of-interest or even the appearance of a conflict-of-interest.

And if you request "open records" that are not posted on the websight it cost: Retrieval/Search Fee $14.66 an hour, Photocopy charge $.25 a page, and the cost of first class postage.

Without better transparency on the workings of this Board, the public will never know when conflicts of interest may be involved in the decisions this Board makes.

 

 Breakdown of 15 board members by political party:

  • 5 Democrats
  • 7 Republicans (but with 2 Republicans giving political money mostly to Democrats)
  • 3 Unaffiliated

Summary of political contributions:

  • $23,050 to Kathleen Sebelius from six members of the board PLUS $1400 from spouse of board member
  • $675 to Paul Morrison from four members

In August 2005 Sebelius nominated Dr. Howard Ellis to serve on the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, but soon media outlets reported Dr. Ellis had lost his medical license in Missouri.  From the Aug 21, 2005 Kansas City Star:

The announcement of Ellis’ appointment came just two months after he voluntarily retired his medical license in Missouri rather than face a disciplinary hearing on multiple charges of professional misbehavior.

Ellis' appointment was withdrawn.  The media did not report Ellis' $4000 in political contributions to Sebelius, nor his subsequent $4000 in contributions to Paul Morrison. 

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