Unlike other Pain management clinics that are known to be “pill mills”, our office has not experienced difficulties from pharmacies  filling our patient’s medications. Recently there was an article that I came across in Tampa Bay Business Journal that touched the tip of the iceburg of challenges facing pain management physicians and their patients.  Click

Many Florida Pharmacists Deny Pain Patients Properly Prescribed Meds

 to see the original article.

The article states that the Florida Society of Pain Management Providers (www.Flspmp.org) are aware and concerned about this growing issue. While I am not denying that pharmacists have a tough job and need to be vigilent, I agree with the article when it stated that some pharmacists are acting as vigilantes. I have had  heard of pharmacies  refusing to fill prescriptions that  were verified by phone.  I have had patients LIED TO and told that they couldn’t accept  valid prescriptions  or they were told they were out of the medication. I have been asked to supply patients MRI reports without any type of written release. In response to these requests I have asked them to send me a valid written request for the information on a HIPAA compliant release form which I am happy to supply since a pharmacist is not supposed to maintain a medical record on a patient! My concern is that these reports  May fall into the wrong hands. Not a single pharmacy has complied with MY request for a release. I get asked daily for  the diagnosis on patients. I have asked what for and have been told they will then determine if they feel that the patient needs the medication based off that information. I challenged them and asked them, isn’t this the job of the physician? Some patients have numerous diagnosis’ so is my office staff is supposed to randomly pick? or should they disturb me from the exam room where I am seeing another patient to ask me? If we state “osteoarthritis” are they supposed to just know the severity without any physical exam, prior medical record, history, or diagnostic tests that I utilize to determine if they “feel” the patient needs the medication? When I asked one pharmacist this and challenged him that some patients can be treated for this with exercise and tylenol while other patients are suffering with disabling pain due to the same illness he simply stated, “that’s a good point. Is that what this patient’s diagnosis is?” So you can see,  It is impossible for them to function beyond the scope of  their practice  as a pharmacist and now act as the physician overseer as well. I find it positively frightening to think that the power of the physician as a diagnostician and healer is being challenged at all levels. When I need treatment, I go to the doctor; not the pharmacist for a reason!

Patients are denied their valid prescription medication from these pharmacies that will sell the same patient alcohol or tobacco on their way out the door! Both Walgreens and CVS have made public positions against pain medication prescribers, especially medications like Oxycodone. I would like all patients that have been denied their medication or been harassed by a pharmacist to visit www.flpainnews.com on how to sign the petition and report your grievance and file a DOH (Department of Health) complaint.

In my practice, I have implemented all the new rules and regulations and it is a struggle as the rules and regulations are changing so quickly and in a perfect world, I would love to only have to keep up with the challenge of medicine as treatments and medications change just as quickly. I will do my part to practice in the specialty I chose. I think law enforcement and lawyers should be the only ones practicing law and I believe the only people that should prescribe/monitor/change medications are physicians.

I am enjoying a planning day today and taking a survey: What evening would be best for us to hold weekly Transitions classes at my office in Spring Hill, Florida? It would offer weekly education and social/moral support for people  who are participating in  the transitions weight loss  program or  those who are interested in starting the program. Even if you have had gastric bypass surgery or have followed a hCG program or some other weight loss program, or would just like to learn how to healthier, this class would be invaluable for you.  The classes would be held in my office and would cost $5 per week.  We also offer virtual support with the new monthly website  solution which is only  $9.95 per month,  $24.95 per 3 months, or  $99.95 per year.  Just click on  the TLS weight loss solution  logo to the right of this page to sign-up.  What could be easier?  You have no excuse to not lose weight anymore. And the revised educational daily Journal is only $20 and  is available at the office or you can order it online and have it shipped to your home.  This is a powerful and invaluable asset that includes 67 pages of educational material in the 1st section and a three-month daily diary where you can itemize everything that you eat and all your feelings as you progress on transitions. You also have places to record your weight, your measurements of waist hip etc. in inches, and your BMI. So you can see your progress which you are certain to make. People who follow transitions typically lose 15 pounds per month! So transitions can be learned and you can excel on an independent study basis.  So are you interested in coming to the office to have the support of live weekly meetings?  We are tentatively looking at Thursday  at 6:30 PM. We also are considering if people would like to meet at a local restaurant in their conference room.

We would love for you to call the office at 352-224-3139 with your comments,  suggestions, and  so we can gather the names of interested parties so we can keep you informed of future events and opportunities.  Dr. Gorrell is here for your health!

PS: Happy Good Friday and happy Easter to you and your family. Hope you make it to church on Sunday.

I have had patients report to me recently that Bush Pain Clinc (Dr. Albert Ford), and Detox and Pain Management (Dr. Keesel) have both closed. Dr. McIntyre of Century Pain Management has closed as well.

When your pain clinic closes it is vital that you contact the sheriff office in the county of the pain clinic that closed as quickly as possible to obtain a copy of your medical record. Often times these clinics are closed and your record is seized for evidence. For another provider to provide continuity of care, it is important that you are able to provide a copy of your records to the next provider. The sherrif’s office is legally obligated to provide you with a copy of your records when this happens and the new pain doctor has a legal obligation to require you to provide a copy of these records.

I have seen patients that have gone to a new provider after their clinic has closed and then the clinic trys to reopen under the guise of being just “wellness” medicine. This is often just a way for the clinic to try to circumvent the law and the ordinances put into place by the state of Florida & the respective counties. Some of these clinics have called patients that have relocated and tried to entice them back. Unfortunately for these patients that go back, this strategy quickly catches up with these clinics and they are once again closed. The patients that were displaced sometimes try to return to the other physician that they established with in the interim and sometimes find themselves in violation of exlusive narcotic agreements and in some cases, now guilty of doctor shopping. Remember that the legal definition of doctor shopping is getting prescriptions for any DEA scheduled drugs from 2 or more different doctors without their knowledge. This includes benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, and Ativan which are schedule 4 drugs. If you are a pain patient, it is your responsibility to make sure that all doctors involved in your care are in communication with each other and are aware of everything that you’re being prescribed. This includes emergency room visits. If not, especially now that the statewide database is working, the database will flag you, and law enforcement will begin to investigate you for this charge.

If you are being treated at a pain management clinic, make sure that your clinic has all applicable licenses, and is compliant with local ordinances. Take it upon yourself to educate yourself. Take responsibility for receiving quality health care. And if you are a legitimate pain patient with a vilid pain issue, Come see us at the Gorrell Institute for pain management before the panel for new patients is closed. We can help!

SURVIVE THE SEASON KIT Great Holiday Special

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I frequently get asked, “What is Anti-Aging Medicine?” My answer is: “In addition to being a board certified Anesthesiologist practicing intervential pain management, I am a diplomat of The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. My passion is for regenerative functional medicine which is the marriage of scientific & medical research aimed at the early detection, prevention, treatment, and reversal of age-related decline.  It employs evidence-based methodologies to conduct patient assessments to find the metabolic root cause of disease.  It is a integrative, evidence-based approach that treats illness and promotes wellness by focusing on the unique genetic aspects of each patient. A individually tailored intervention is created to restore physical, psychological, and structureal balance. Nutragenomic science is used. In other words, disease comes from the interaction of the patient’s you unique genetic makeup with nutritional and environmental factors. By focusing on the metabolic root cause of disease, a cure can be achieved, and optimal wellness approached instead of just mere disease management.

In honor of cyber Monday, the Gorrell Institute will give all new pain management patients a free in office (quantitative)* urine drug screen with the purchase of an initial office visit for $350. The normal cost of this service is $50. Call now and even if you’re not seen today, because you have registered for an initial patient office visit today, you will get the special.

If you are a legitimate pain management patient and  you have a valid Florida ID, we do have a limited number of new patient spaces available in our schedule. We suggest that you schedule with The Gorrell Institute at 352-224-3139 as soon as possible before the panel for new patients is closed.  Your goal should be to go to a pain management clinic that practices to the standard of care so you do not have to repeatedly pay for a initial office visit as well as the hassle and inconvenience of having to find a new doctor every few months.  We will work with you to maintain continuity of care. We currently accept Medicare and self-pay patients. If your insurance has out of network benefits, we will file an unassigned claim as a courtesy for you to be reimbursed by your insurer based on the out-of-network benefits in your contract.  We are not on the panel with Medicaid or with any HMOs. We guarantee that every patient will be seen by the doctor personally and he will give you his undivided attention.   Call now! 352-224-3139 if  You need help.

Fees will still apply for any send out labs.

November 1, 2011 approximately 9 AM:  According to patients who came to see their doctor at their regularly scheduled visit at Hope pain management in Spring Hill this morning, the parking lot was full of approximately 7 law-enforcement vehicles, Dr. Lynn Hutchinson was seated on the concrete sidewalk outside of the facility, and they were told to seek another pain management Dr.or go to the ER to get a emergency three-day supply of medications. According to the St. Petersburg Times: “Deputies arrested Hutchinson on Tuesday on multiple counts of unlawful practice of medicine, unlicensed practice of a health care physician, criminal use of personal identification, and fraudulent representation of a practitioner to obtain a controlled substance.”   In fact, Dr. Hutchinson has never went to medical school anywhere and also considers herself to be a psychic. Click here, to see the whole story. Patients are currently not being allowed copies of their medical records because they are in the process of being copied by law enforcement. Patients may pick up a copy of their medical records later at the Hernando County Sheriff office. Dr. Harold Sleight was  Arrested as well.  The Hernando County Sheriff’s vice and narcotics unit states that Dr. Sleight, 70 years old pre-signed blank prescriptions that Dr. Hutchinson later filled out and he also knew that she was impersonating a medical doctor.  The shutdown of hope pain management is being conducted by a multi-disciplinary legal team including: FDLE, DEA, the Hernando County Sheriff, and the board of medicine. Although Hope’s regular office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, we called the office several times throughout the day for comment & to verify medical records and were only able to get the answering machine. Additionally, faxed requests for medical records have not been responded to.

If you are a legitimate pain management patient who lives in Florida and  you have a valid Florida ID, we do have a limited number of new patient spaces available in our schedule. The office will be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday for continuing medical education. We suggest that you schedule with The Gorrell Institute at 352-224-3139 as soon as possible before the panel for new patients is closed. It is unlikely that Hope Pain Management will reopen and to go into acute withdrawal is a dangerous medical crisis.  Additionally, your goal should be to go to a pain management clinic that practices to the standard of care so you do not have to repeatedly pay for a initial office visit as well as the hassle and inconvenience of having to find a new doctor every few months.  We will work with you to maintain continuity of care. We currently accept Medicare and self-pay patients. If your insurance has out of network benefits, we do file an unassigned claim as a courtesy for you to be reimbursed.  We are not on the panel with Medicaid or with any HMOs. We guarantee that every patient will be seen by the doctor personally and he will give you his undivided attention.  Please call us at 352-224-3139 if we can be of assistance to you.

October marks and important time for implementation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring system for providers.  We have been approved for access which will help speed up the verification process for patients.

The Goals of the Prescription Drug Monitoring  Program (PDMP)

1. Support access to legitimate medical use of controlled substances
2. Help identify and deter or prevent drug abuse and diversion
3. Facilitate and encourage the identification, intervention with and treatment of persons addicted to prescription drugs by health care practitioners
4. Help inform public health and safety initiatives through the outlining of use and abuse trends of controlled prescription drugs
5. Help educate individuals about PDMPs and the use, abuse and diversion of and addiction to controlled prescription drugs

you can find more info at:  http://drugcontrol.flgov.com/pdmp/about.html

Pain management is a unique and misunderstood specialty.  We struggle to make sure that our patients are educated to the process so that they do not get the wrong impression when they go thru the intake process.  Due to regulatory processes and Dr. Gorrell’s demand for high standards of care, we are required to do a thorough examination of ALL new patient documentation and collection of information includes sending out HIPPA compliant release of information (ROI) request to all sources of information unless we receive the information faxed direct from the source to us.  Examples include the most recent MRI or CT report from the radiology company & the most recent 2 months of medical records from the prior pain management Dr. This process can sometimes be time consuming because we are at the mercy of the other entity to get this information back to us in a timely manner.  It helps save time when patients come in a day or so prior to their appointment to sign any releases we may need.  When a patient comes for their initial appointment, our intake process involves a thorough history and physical.  Our staff and Dr. Gorrell want to make sure that you get the care and attention that you deserve, so access to the drug monitoring database and being provided documentation direct from the source will allow us more efficient use of your time as well as ours.

We have a limited number of spaces for new patients  today, call now: 352-224-3139.  Call this morning; be seen this afternoon! Enjoy our  Luxurious waiting room that includes a leather couch and love seat as well as reading materials. There is such a thing as chronic pain and you should suffer no longer. Forget about the stigma of being a pain management victim. If you are currently on a pain management regimen that works for you, we will work with you to maintain it.  If you require opiates to control your pain so you can hold down your job or be a part of the family, we can help you. We do, however, verify all documents and they must be faxed directly to us from the source.  Additionally, we are in compliance with state law, and Hernando County ordinances so there will be a urine drug screen on the initial visit and randomly 2 times per year thereafter. But this is what you want, it is more important to go to a pain management clinic that will be there today, tomorrow, and a year from now. Not one where you’re always afraid that they will be closed or that the police are about to shut it down. Call the office now at 352-224-3139 to schedule your appointment.  Do not waste another day in a crowded clinic like so many of my patients come from where they complain that they wait 6 hours, see a different doctor every time, or sometimes the doctor never comes at all. You can be guaranteed a predictable experience at the Gorrell Institute where he will see you personally and he will really listen to you. The Gorrell Institute is open from 10 AM  to 5: 30 PM Monday  through Friday.  Appointments are preferred. Walk-ins accommodated if possible. We are a full-service pain management facility including interventional pain management procedures by  Dr. Gorrell, a Anesthesiologist  with over 10 years of experience.  Procedures performed include epidural steroid injections, facet blocks, and coming soon; dorsal column stimulator trials and Suboxone detox.

Additionally, the Gorrell Institute of Wellness Medicine is here for you if you want to look, feel, and metabolically function like you were 10 years younger. If you have stumped your prior doctors with problems like SLE, RA, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Chron’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis or just feeling tired & run down come see Dr Gorrell. Dr. Gorrell has even helped a woman declared infertile by OB/GYN’s that specialize in the treatment of infertility even after multiple rounds of therapy to become pregnant and carry a healthy baby to term. This patient is doing it 38 and 39 when she could not do it 28! Keep in mind that the fertility of the average 38-year-old woman is only 5%! This is truly a miracle but this is what happens when the physician focuses on wellness medicine and not disease management medicine.

We require all new patients to provide  their most recent 6 month prescription history from their pharmacy, most recent radiology reports  (MRI, and CT reports) if any, and a valid Florida ID as we do not accept out-of-state patients.  The most recent three months of doctor’s notes from any previous provider  including primary care, psychiatry, or a referral to pain management are preferred but not mandatory. We request that all documents are faxed from original sources to our fax machine at 727-359-0230. Bring in your own copies can accelerate the  initial visit process. We see new patients as soon as the documents are verified but cannot control how much time it takes for other healthcare providers to respond to our request for records verification. So, typically initial visits for patients that do not have their document faxed and do not bring copies takes longer.   Especially for the initial patient visit one should not bring nonessential friends, family, children etc as they  may have to wait a long time.

Our goal is to set a new standard and exceed the current standard of care in pain management.  We are too legit to quit!

Dr. Gorrell renewed his Anesthesia Board Certification in July of 2011 with The American Board of Anesthesiology (www.theaba.org).  MOCA, or Maintenance of Certification, originated with the American Board of Medical Specialties in 1999.  The ongoing Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment, continual assessment of Professional Standing (medical licensure), periodic assessments of Practice Performance and decennial assessment of Cognitive Expertise allow physicians the opportunity to improve their skills in six general competencies – Medical Knowledge; Patient Care; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; Professionalism; Interpersonal and Communication Skills; and Systems-Based Practice.  By implementing these activities, Dr. Gorrell has demonstrated his commitment to quality clinical outcomes and patient safety.

Dr. Gorrell offers anesthesia services (as locum tenens), pain management (including interventional pain management), and wellness/functional medicine.