A federal judge in Wichita ruled today that a former Haysville doctor will remain free awaiting trial next month on charges that he over-prescribed painkillers, resulting in the deaths of 59 patients.
U.S. District Judge Monti Belot denied a request by the prosecution to revoke Stephen Schneider’s bond.
Prosecutors had said Schneider didn’t meet conditions of his bond by not finding someone to safely keep the records held at the Schneider Medical Clinic. Schneider’s lawyer said they couldn’t agree with the prosecution on an appropriate person to keep the records. Nor could the Kansas Board of Healing Arts come to terms over the records. The board has filed suit asking a Shawnee County District Judge to appoint a custodian.
“It is the State Board of Healing Arts that is best positioned to ensure that Defendant’s responsibilities are fulfilled concerning the medical records and his duties to his former patients,” Belot wrote in his order.
Linda Schneider, the doctor’s wife and manager of the clinic, remains in jail awaiting trial Feb. 3, after judges ruled she was a potential flight risk. The couple face 34 federal charges and claims that they ran a “pill mill” and unlawfully prescribed painkillers and other narcotics, putting their patients in danger.
One Comment
I have commented on Dr. Schneider before but my comments seem to disappear into thin air. In any case, I want to repeat my main points here once again.
To my knowledge, I have never spoken with Dr. S. nor his wife nor his medical staff.
My mother was a resident of the Haysville nursing home for several years. So I often saw Dr. Schneider visiting the nursing home to see his patients there. It was my observation that Dr. S. was always friendly and courteous to the residents whether of not they were his patients. Likewise he treated staff and visitors (such as me) with courtesy and a wave of the hand.
I saw few if any other doctors in the building. Most doctors would not waste time visiting the nursing home. They ordered the staff to take residents to their offices or to a hospital so the doctor would not have to go to the nursing home. Most likely more fees and who knows whether the doctor actually saw the patients.
I recall one patient, a little younger than regular nursing home patients. Probably 40 or so, I think a transfer from the VA hospital which happened from time to time, well llked by other patients and staff. He was a patient of Dr. S. He must have been a veteran of Iraq, confined to a wheelchair for some reason. He confided to me that he had a drug addiction problem. I don’t know what happened to him, I suspect he returned to the VA hospital … or passed away.
My point with the above is that the fellow was out of control and no doctor or anyone else was going to control him to any degree.
Since Dr. Schneider has received media attention, I have noticed the prosecution continues to release inflammatory information but I don’t see any rebuttal by the defense. I presume the defense is “muffled.”
I have made it my business to talk to people and staff in Haysville about Dr. S. I find he as well respected and everyone I talk with feel he was a good person and medical practitioner. I think a jury of his peers, friends and acquaintances in Haysville would give him a strong thumbs up.
I wonder whether the fact he is a DO makes a difference. I know some about the osteopathic training program and think it is up to par with M.D. training. Like any field of education, the quality of the student is as important as the buildings, curriculum, trainers, etc.
Almost everyone I know can tell stories about bad services from the medical health care industry.
So I question whose ox is being gored in this situation.