Maryland Medical Society Withdraws Support for Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Townsend

The Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, the state's medical association, on Oct. 30 withdrew support for gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) because she "does not support its top issues," the Baltimore Sun reports. MedChi officials said that Townsend refused to commit to caps on damage awards for pain and suffering in medical malpractice lawsuits in state tort reform law. MedChi also said that Townsend supports a proposal to allow nurse practitioners to serve as primary care providers in HMOs, a proposal that the association opposes. In addition, MedChi said that Townsend never responded to a five-question candidate form that asked for her position on a proposal to reform the peer review system for negligent physicians. MedChi opposes the proposal. MedChi withdrew support for Townsend after the association earlier this year donated $6,000 to her campaign. MedChi on Oct. 30 mailed a scorecard to 10,000 health professionals that recommended support for Rep. Robert Ehrlich (R-Md.), Townsend's opponent in the gubernatorial race. The scorecard listed the positions of the two candidates and asked health professionals to "share this information with your colleagues, your staff and your patients." According to Dr. Catherine Smoot-Haselnus, president of MedChi, the association has never mailed a scorecard "so close" to an election. Peter Hamm, a spokesperson for Townsend, said that the issues that MedChi raised "were complex and worthy of serious consideration," the Sun reports. Townsend has received support from trial attorneys who favor a proposal to remove limits on damage awards in medical malpractice lawsuits (Nitkin, Baltimore Sun, 10/31).