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Feature News LYME DISEASE AWARENESS
Legislator advocates more education on Lyme disease
By Jaime North
The Daily Item
June 06, 2006
SUNBURY - Through his own personal battle, Rep. Merle Phillips (R-108 of Sunbury) knows the importance of prompt diagnosis and thorough treatment of Lyme disease.
Five years after being diagnosed with the chronic disease, Rep. Phillips has set the wheels in motion for increased awareness and improved treatment. Last year, he sponsored legislation proposing government take a greater role in the fight against the tick-born illness.
The pending legislation, currently before the state Senate, calls for the creation of a special task force to develop strategies for informing the public about Lyme disease and helping to provide better treatment. The bill was passed by the House last June.
"A big thing is to heighten the awareness of Lyme disease, so people know what to look for and how to handle it if infected," said Rep. Phillips, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease five years ago. "If people know more about it early on, then they may not have to go into a long-term treatment plan. They can catch it early."
The legislation would also have an impact on future treatment of Lyme disease and the education of physicians.
"It (bill) would also protect the physicians who treat Lyme disease from (certain) lawsuits and have insurance companies (cover) long-term care once the disease is documented." Rep. Phillips said. "The challenge is you don't have too many doctors who know a lot about Lyme disease."
The legislator added, "It does not provide for immunity from complaints or disciplinary action by the state Board of Medicine. Patients still have rights. I want to make that clear. They can sue if they feel the treatment was not correct, and it doesn't diminish the rights of the state Board of Medicine."
Rep. Phillips would like to see more education opportunities, similar to a proposed scholarship fund at Columbia University in New York City that would train physicians to be specialists in Lyme disease.
"We have to get more of that initiative out there," Rep. Phillips said. "It's a disease not that well known, which makes it hard to take care of it. We have to do more and have more doctors available (for treatment)."
Rep. Phillips was confronted with Lyme disease after being bit by a tick on his shoulder while hunting.
"I know exactly how I got it," he said. "It was several years before (diagnosis) that I got bit by a tick. I got a big red circle from it."
Like many, he did not react immediately and waited before he sought a professional opinion.
"I didn't know anything about it at the time, so I thought nothing of it," he said. "I was lucky, because I knew several people who had Lyme disease. I started to notice I had the symptoms that they had, so they suggested I get checked."
His condition has been stabilized through antibiotics and vitamins.
He continues to occasionally take vitamins to ensure that his Lyme disease remains under control.
"The big message is if you see symptoms or think you may have it, go get tested for it and see a specialist," he said. "The sooner you do that, the better it is for you."
. E-mail comments to jnorth@dailyitem.com
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