Wenstrup Announces Hearing on Erosion of the Doctor-Patient Relationship during COVID-19 Pandemic

WASHINGTON — Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) will hold a hearing titled “Oh Doctor, Where Art Thou? Pandemic Erosion of the Doctor-Patient Relationship” to examine the importance of the doctor-patient relationship during times of crisis, including future pandemics. Select Subcommittee members and expert witnesses will explore how government overreach during the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with one-size-fits-all protocols promoted by politicians, eliminated the decision-making power of patients and physicians. Americans suffered a significant decrease in quality-of-care, longer wait times, shorter medical appointments, missed disease diagnoses, and medical autonomy confusion, among other negative effects, as a result of failed pandemic-era policies. Ensuring that future healthcare legislation and systems prioritize and protect the doctor-patient relationship and the autonomy of physicians is a critical to prepare America should another national medical crisis arise.

“Americans needed to be educated by doctors who were treating COVID-19 patients, not indoctrinated by politicians. Instead of prioritizing high-quality care, the federal government mandated vaccines for patients, where it may have been unnecessary, and censored doctors who used their autonomy to prescribe off-label prescriptions. Needlessly politicizing a medical question demolished American trust in not only public health authorities, but also their own physicians. As one of seven medical doctors on the Select Subcommittee, exploring the consequences of these public health failures with expert witnesses who understand the real-world repercussions is an essential part of ensuring future respect and trust in healthcare systems,” said Chairman Wenstrup.

WHAT: Hearing titled “Oh Doctor, Where Art Thou? Pandemic Erosion of the Doctor-Patient Relationship”

DATE: Thursday, September 14, 2023

TIME: 10:00 AM ET

LOCATION: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building

WITNESSES:

Jeffrey Singer, M.D.

Surgeon

Senior Fellow

Cato Institute, Department of Health Policy Studies

Azadeh Khatibi, M.D, M.S., M.P.H

Physician

Medical Ethics and Freedom Advocate

Jerry Williams, M.D.

Founder

Urgent Care 24/7

The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at https://oversight.house.gov/.

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