MRFF Intervention Quickly Foils De-Facto ‘Death Sentence’ Issued by Out-of-Control Religious Zealot & VA Physician

August 19, 2022

U.S. Navy Veteran Gary Rinsem contacted MRFF President/Founder Mikey Weinstein for assistance in responding to an incredibly negligent and highly abusive health care environment that has been festering at the Phoenix VA Clinic.  Mr. Rinsem’s attempts to deal with his treatment via the Phoenix VA healthcare administration’s standard channels led to blatantly obvious retribution by his primary care physician that created a potentially life-threatening situation.  Mr. Rinsem’s requests for corrective action in this matter did not result in a resolution, but to potentially deadly bureaucratic retribution.  The following excerpts are from an August 18, 2022 email from Mr. Rinsem to Mikey detailing the horrifically abusive history of interaction with the Phoenix VA Clinic:

When near religion predators, I always feel violated.   Dr Cheron beat me with his God and Jesus too many times for the violated feeling to subside.   After a couple of years, just his name gave me an uncomfortable feeling which I can’t describe. He was in a position of power and authority over me.   He abused it.   I had little choice in the matter.   I need constant access to healthcare.  Dr Cheron never approached physical abuse, and he smiles nice and acts very pleasant and agreeable, but there is always the same feeling around him.   It’s the result of five years of repeatedly pushing his God and Jesus on me, when I was at my most vulnerable, in need of medical attention.   If not for my vulnerability, and his power and authority, I would have told him where to shove it after a few times of asking him nicely to knock it off.   If I had options for healthcare, I would have walked out of the first office visit with him and found another doctor, the instant he proselytized.

I don’t deny anyone’s religious belief.   We all have the exact same rights or nobody has any.   Nobody has the right to use power and authority to violate another person’s mind.   It is particularly despicable when it’s done from a position within a government agency.   The Phoenix VA is supporting his behavior and attacking my ability to get healthcare.   I am denied healthcare and I am in desperate need.

Timeline:

November 2011 – Developed Wegeners Granulomatosis aka Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis

September 2013 – Life threatening treatment finally controlled my condition, but I was in very bad condition.

March 2015 – Unable to continue working, went on Social Security Disability and reported to Phoenix VA as only option for healthcare.

2015 to 2017 – Assigned 5 short term primary care providers.   They were too incompetent for description, but none of them shoved their religion on me.

July 2017 – Assigned Dr Cheron.  He was the first VA PCP who did ANYTHING for me.   I desperately need healthcare and he was the only PCP who did ANYTHING at all.   I had no choice.   To quote VA documentation “To use all the services at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, you must be established with a Primary Care Team.”   You have no healthcare without a primary care doctor.   I had to tolerate him pushing his God and Jesus on me or give up on all healthcare.

07-25-22 – I had a particularly bad appointment with Dr Cheron.

07-28-22 – I got the medical record from the previous office visit.   It was so unbelievably filled with lies that it took me a couple days to compose a message, which didn’t use a four letter word as a spacer between every word.

08-01-22 – Sent a message to Dr Cheron titled: Sycophantasia (that’s a word I made up to fit the situation and try to get his understanding).   The message was scathing to say the least.   It finally told him what I thought of him, in mostly nice language.

Between 08-01 and 08-13 there had been numerous pointless emails involving Dr Cheron and two people he dragged into the situation.   I am not ashamed of a single word of mine.   I doubt any of it will really be beneficial, but if wanted I will do what I can to get them to you in a useable format.   Most likely a web page, sometime tomorrow evening.

08-13-22 – The complaint email is copied below.   I was locked out of the system after sending this as a complaint to the director of the Phoenix VA. [emphasis added]

I am now without healthcare as a result of retribution for filing a complaint.   The patient’s advocate this morning hinted that my complaint went no place.   Petty bureaucrats protect each other and prevent complaints from seeing the light of day.
Their whistleblower retribution is the severing of all of my “Provider Relationships.” (that’s the proper term for a connection at the VA, like being friends on Facebook).  VA documentation claims: “To use all the services at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, you must be established with a Primary Care Team.”  About twenty “Provider Relationships” were severed.   You can’t use secure messaging for anything except messages with “Provider Relationships.”

Complaint email:
This message was in reply to 12 emails by Dr Cheron, in a very short time.   I reconstituted his emails into one reply and requested that it be sent to the director of the Phoenix VA Healthcare System.   This was my complaint form.   It may take a lot of study to understand, but it’s the reply to a complex series of emails.   I had openly BEGGED repeatedly for my symptoms to be put into my medical record, after seven years with zero healthcare… for the reason I’m in a wheelchair.   Dr Cheron openly refused, not kidding, for five years.

13 Aug 2022 @ 11:30 ET
From RINSEM, GARY KENNETH
To PHX Z VRC ADVOCATE OFFICE TB/EMERALD _ADMIN
Subject General: Proselytizing By Clinicians
Message ID 3898773726

My Dear Patient Advocate,

Please help me by ensuring this message (copy of a message to Fred Cheron) is forwarded to the director of the Phoenix VA and everyone else who could help solve the problem.

You are my only source for message delivery to the appropriate persons at the Phoenix VA.

Thank You,
Gary Rinsem

=================

Fred,

In an attempt at advancing (or finally beginning) your provision of healthcare, I feel it important for you know that the following message has been added to your page at VAExpose.com.

=================

Through the ASU nursing program I learned that it’s a serious violation of medical ethics, for a doctor to shove his religion on the patient. Yet Dr Cheron has done this in most encounters with him.  A quote from the AMA:

“Proselytizing by clinicians or dismissing patients’ spiritual or religious beliefs is unethical under all circumstances within the clinical encounter.”

Dr Cheron,

I was horribly offended the first time, but long ago I was sick and tired of you pushing your religious belief on me. It’s far beyond unprofessional. You have repeatedly assaulted my religious belief. I suffered this attack for five years without mentioning it, because my life depends on healthcare and because people like you constantly mistreat those of other beliefs. You are a bad person and a worse doctor.

Grow up, take a hint. I WILL NEVER EVEN REVEAL MY RELIGIOUS BELIEF. In fact, that is the first tenet of my religious belief, and the only tenet which I ever reveal. I suffered your proselytizing for five years, while in fear of your reaction if I asked you to STOP.

In addition to appointments and phone calls with you, a quick search finds you proselytizing in emails on these dates:

10-12-17
06-22-21
01-13-22
02-17-22
06-22-22

Fred, I’m curious… do you have any plans regarding the provision of healthcare? I’ve been waiting and begging you for five years now. I’ve finally made a big stink about it, yet there is still zero acknowledgement of my FIRST request, my constant seven year request.

All Done BEGGING! I’ve switched to demanding. It has been twelve days since I began demanding healthcare. You only escalated your denial. I assure you, I will not spend seven years demanding. I will only demand louder and louder and louder. I may not get healthcare, but will be heard.

Mikey immediately began working with MRFF’s Legal Counsel Don Rehkopf to rectify this situation with a formal complaint and demand letter filed with Phoenix VA Interim Medical Center Director (Michael Welsh, MS, RD) and Chief of Staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs (Tanya J. Bradsher).  The following demands were made by Mr. Rehkopf on behalf of MRFF’s client on the afternoon of August 19, 2022:

On behalf of my client, MRFF, I respectfully demand that you give this matter your immediate and serious consideration. Furthermore, as MRFF previously demanded, this includes the following:
(1) immediate assignment of a new Primary Care Physician given the severe exigency of his life-threatening medical condition;
(2) immediate and aggressive investigation of his now former Primary Care physician, Dr. Fred Cheron, regarding the serious allegations of religious proselytizing of our client…..and who knows how many OTHER VA patients Dr. Cheron may have similarly proselytized in the past, is now proselytizing or may proselytize in the future if not stopped NOW!!??;
(3) to be welcomed back immediately in full good standing by the Phoenix VA

Approximately 2 hours after receiving this formal complaint and demands, the Interim Director of the Phoenix VA Medical Clinic emailed the following:

From: “Welsh, Michael J. (PHO) (he/him/his)” <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] Re: Retaliation Complaint – Gary Rinsem
Date: August 19, 2022 at 4:58:18 PM MDT
To: Don Rehkopf <[email protected]>, “Bradsher, Tanya J.” <[email protected]>
Cc: Mikey Weinstein <[email protected]>

Thank you for reaching out on behalf of Veteran Rinsen.  The Phoenix VA Health Care System is going to ensure Mr. Rinsen has a new provider team next week to continue his care.  His care will continue fully and completely with his new team.  The Phoenix VA takes patient privacy and respect for personal preferences very seriously and will ensure a review of interaction from his old provider is done as he continues his care with his new team.  I apologize that this was not able to be handled at a lower level within the agency.  Thank you for reaching out and providing us with an opportunity to serve.
Michael Welsh
Interim Medical Center Director
Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System

The following emails were received from MRFF’s client Mr. Rinsem soon after the Phoenix VA’s reply:

8/20/2022 (Email #1)
Mr. Weinstein,
I’ve spent hours considering how to word a letter of appreciation to you and your organization.   The problem is kicking my ass as hard you all kicked the VA’s ass.   I won’t offend you with the words “thank you.”   It’s what people say when handed a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

In seven years I’ve tried every tactic imaginable, and still failed to get healthcare out of the overflowing cesspool.   Some people call it the Phoenix VA Healthcare System.   I view it as cancerous tissue in the bio-waste container of an operating room.

I understand; last week’s effort by Military Freedom Foundation and outlying affiliates was no more than an involuntary twitch of the pinky finger of your right hand.   It’s a twitch which I appreciate beyond measure.   Mikey is incredible and he’s got the resources to get the job done.   His work required the effort of a highly dedicated organization.  You all did in four days, what I couldn’t do in seven years.   You got action from the VA.   I can’t even get my symptoms put into my medical record.

Far beyond forcing a still unknown end result, YOU GOT A FRACKING APOLOGY.   It’s true… a written apology from a head bureaucrat of the Phoenix VA.   If you don’t believe me, ask Mikey to show it to you.   That is one of the single most impressive accomplishments I’ve witnessed in my entire life.   NASA could have used your help putting men on the moon.   They made it look difficult.   You could have done better.

The near future will tell the final result of your work.   But I now have at least SOME hope of getting healthcare from the cesspool.  You accomplished your mission by forcing an apology from the Phoenix VA, for religious abuse by a doctor.   That apology is an admission of wrongdoing.   You left a bitter taste in his mouth that he won’t soon forget.

You got me their attention.   I plan to use this victory as a weapon to force far more.   My new motto is “Strike while the iron is hot.”

8/20/2022 (Email #2)
I just got a call out of the blue to schedule a complete spinal ct scan with contrast.   The call came from the primary care clinic/phone number.  My new doctor is busy.

While this medically dangerous situation should never have been negligently allowed to occur within the Phoenix VA system (…let alone the craven attempt at retribution), MRFF does appreciate the rapid response and partial corrective action taken by the Interim Director to MRFF’s demands on behalf of our client Mr. Rinsem.  However, MRFF re-asserts its critical demand for immediate and aggressive investigation of Dr. Fred Cheron, regarding the serious allegations of religious proselytizing on behalf of our client and all patients of the Phoenix VA Clinic.