Association of American Physicians and Surgeons

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[[File:AAPS-logotagline web.png|thumb|right|165px|The AAPS logo]]
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The '''Association of American Physicians and Surgeons''' is a small group of physicians who, under a false authoritative name, advocate for [[far-right]] [[conservative]] values in the practice of [[medicine]]. While purporting to have high regard for the [[Hippocratic Oath]], "the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship, and the "practice of private medicine",<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/ Website]</ref> it appears to treat these concepts as [[Term of art|terms of art]]. Despite also calling itself "non-partisan", its main focus appears to be opposing [[abortion]], [[Vaccine hysteria|vaccination]], [[universal health care]] coverage and [[Obamacare]] in particular, and [[birth control]].

These concerns evidence a particular contempt for women's health and wellness. The AAPS specifically opposes [[HPV vaccine|vaccination for HPV]],<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/vaccines/hpv-statement.php AAPS Statement on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine (updated Feb 5, 2007)]</ref> a known [[cancer]]-causing virus for which a vaccine administered to young women is extremely effective. The group also makes the objectively false claim that there is a meaningful correlation between [[Evidence linking abortion to breast cancer|abortion and breast cancer]].<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/press/abortioncancer.htm MEDICAL JOURNAL: POLITICAL CORRECTNESS PREVENTS WOMEN FROM LEARNING ABOUT ABORTION RISKS]</ref> 

Its website offers this ridiculous claim:
{{quotebox|top=1|The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is a non-partisan professional association of physicians in all types of practices and specialties across the country. Since 1943, AAPS has been dedicated to the highest ethical standards of the [[Oath of Hippocrates]] and to preserving the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship and the practice of private medicine. Our motto, "omnia pro aegroto" means "all for the patient."<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/ Website]</ref>}}

The AAPS is listed as a [[quackery|quack]] organization by [[Quackwatch]].<ref>[http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/nonrecorg.html Questionable Organizations: An Overview], Stephen Barrett, M.D.</ref> The organization has made the questionable decision of engaging [[homeschool]] instructor  and [[Conservapedia]] founder [[Andrew Schlafly]] as its general counsel to represent its interests in a variety of matters, including filing [[Amicus curiae|amici briefs]] in appellate litigation and even representing member physicians in disciplinary proceedings.

In 2016, their president, Melinda Woofter, stated: 

{{quotebox|top=1|We have witnessed an accelerated transformation of our profession away from individualized patient care toward politicized and collectivized “evidence-based medicine.” Without a doubt, this one-size-fits-all approach does not work and never can.<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/index.php/site/article/presidents_page_what_is_our_mission/ Their mission]</ref>}}

So, there you have it. Bring in the leeches and bloodletters, I guess.
 
==Crowded office==
Its physical address, 1601 N Tucson Blvd #9, Tucson AZ 85716, a suite in a medical center, is shared with a lot of other equally weird organizations including [[Doctors for Disaster Preparedness]], the American Health Legal Foundation,<ref>[https://archive.ph/jBjHF American Health Legal Foundation]. Archived from charityblossom.org, 2013.</ref> the AAPS Educational Foundation (contact: Dr Jane Orient), Physicians for Civil Defense (contact: Dr Jane Orient),<ref>[https://archive.ph/LjX8p Physicians For Civil Defense]. Archived from charityblossom.org, 2013.</ref> the Southwestern Institute of Science (contact: Dr Jane Orient),<ref>[https://archive.ph/CFWYv Southwestern Institute Of Science Ltd]. Archived from charityblossom.org, 2013.</ref> and the Southern Arizona Association for Play Therapy.<ref>[https://archive.ph/oOCK8 Southern Arizona Association For Play Therapy]. Archived from charityblossom.org, 2013.</ref>

==Activities==
Many of these activities appear to violate their "Patient's Bill of Rights", which, among other things, states:
{{quotebox|''(the right) to refuse third-party interference in their medical care, and to be confident that their actions in seeking or declining medical care will not result in third-party-imposed penalties for patients or physicians''}}

*AAPS files lawsuit against [[FDA]] to overturn approval of "Plan B" morning after pill for over the counter use by women over 18.<ref>"AAPS, CWA, FRC and SDW vs. Food and Drug Administration".  AAPS Online.  April 12, 2007.  http://www.aapsonline.org/judicial/planb.php.</ref>
*Fight against "Sham Peer Review": The AAPS recognizes "sham peer review" as an abusive use of such entities as hospital by-laws and disciplinary committees to exclude physicians for other-than legitimate or the explicitly-stated reasons.<ref>Carroll, John. "AAPS Raises Alarm over Sham Peer Review". ''Louisiana Medical News''.  April 2007.  http://www.louisianamedicalnews.com/news.php?viewStory=934.</ref>
*Defense of a physician convicted of improper narcotic prescribing while operating a clinic to treat patients with chronic pain.<ref>"United States of American v. Ronald A. McIver - Petition for Rehearing ''En Banc''".  http://www.aapsonline.org/painman/mciver.pdf.</ref>
*Fighting mandatory vaccination.<ref>"'Hands Off Our Kids' Coalition Wins in Texas! - Watch Fox News Channel 'The Big Story' with John Gibson - Tonight at 5 pm EDT".  AAPS Online Alerts.  March 14, 2007.  http://www.aapsonline.org/alerts/03-14-07.php.</ref>
*Fighting against mandated mental health parity,<ref>"Hearing on Mental Health Parity - Statement of Michael D. Ostrolenk, MA, MFT".  March 26, 2007.  http://www.aapsonline.org/testimony/mhparity.pdf.</ref> which is advocated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, American Medical Association,<ref>"Promoting Parity for the Treatment of Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders".  American Medical Association.  http://134.147.247.42/han/JAMA/https/ssl3.ama-assn.org/apps/ecomm/PolicyFinderForm.pl?site=www.ama-assn.org&uri=/ama1/pub/upload/mm/PolicyFinder/policyfiles/DIR/D-345.992.HTM</ref> the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.<ref>"Help Support Mental Health Parity".  American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.  2007.  http://www.aacap.org/cs/legislative_action_110th_congress/help_support_mental_health_parity.</ref>
*Promoting contracting between physicians and patients without government or insurance company involvement.
*Fighting socialized and single-payer healthcare.<ref>"THE PINNACLE OF SOCIALIZED MEDICINE". <!-- Left it in all caps to emphasize batshit craziness. --> ''AAPS News''.  AAPS Online.  April 2007.  http://www.aapsonline.org/newsletters/apr07.php.</ref>
*Fighting to "debunk" [[Shaken baby syndrome]], and to link it to vaccines rather than abuse.<ref>"Shaken Baby Syndrome".  AAPS Online.  http://www.aapsonline.org/sbs.htm.</ref>
*Advocating for so-called "freedom of conscience" to allow pharmacists to refuse to fill lawful prescriptions.<ref>"Medical Ethics - Abortion - Freedom of Conscience".  AAPS Online.  http://www.aapsonline.org/ethics/foc.php.</ref>  This would appear to interfere with a patient's right "to refuse third party interference in their health care".
*Fighting abortion, not simply through moral objection, but also by attempting to link abortion to unrelated health problems,<ref>"Studies denying abortion-breast cancer link debunked".  ''News of the Day... In Perspective''.  AAPS Online.  December 13, 2005.  http://www.aapsonline.org/nod/newsofday236.php.</ref> [[Evidence linking abortion to breast cancer|including breast cancer]].<ref>"Legal Implications of a Link Between Abortion and Breast Cancer".  [[Andrew Schlafly|Schlafly, Andrew L.]], Esq.  2005.  http://www.jpands.org/vol10no1/aschlafly.pdf.</ref>
*Advocating against the sale of organs for transplant.<ref>"Transplant tourism to China".  ''News of the Day... In Perspective''.  AAPS Online.  April 24, 2007.  http://www.aapsonline.org/nod/newsofday417.php.</ref>
*Advocating against organ donation in cases where brain [[death]] is unclear.<ref>"Donation after cardiac death expanding rapidly".  ''News of the Day... In Perspective''.  AAPS Online.  March 19, 2007.  http://www.aapsonline.org/nod/newsofday402.php.</ref>
*Advocating against withdrawal of care, as in the [[Terri Schiavo case]],<ref>"Terri Schindler Schiavo Case".  AAPS Online.  http://www.aapsonline.org/ethics/terris.htm.</ref> including misrepresenting the results of autopsy in the case.<ref>"Schiavo autopsy results misrepresented". ''News of the Day... In Perspective''.  AAPS Online.  June 21, 2005.  http://www.aapsonline.org/nod/newsofday186.htm.</ref>

==Publications==
The AAPS publishes the ''[[JPANDS|Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons]]'' (JPANDS), until 2003 called the ''Medical Sentinel''.
The journal is not considered a valid, [[Peer review|peer-reviewed]] [[Scientific journal|journal]] for inclusion in major [[Science|scientific]] databases, and has been listed by Quackwatch as "Fundamentally Flawed".<ref>Barrett, Stephen, M.D.  [http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/nonrecperiodicals.html Nonrecommended Periodicals]. Quackwatch, 15 September 2008.</ref>
An article in the "journal"<ref>Robinson, Arthur B., Noah E. Robinson, and Willie Soon. [http://www.oism.org/pproject/GWReview_OISM150.pdf Environmental Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide].</ref> was used in 2008 to justify a [[Oregon Petition|petition]] against proposed solutions to the problem of [[global warming]].<ref>[http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p1845.htm Global Warming Petition].  ''Petition Project'', Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, 1998.</ref>

==Members==
*[[Russell Blaylock]], M.D., member of the editorial staff.  Publishes the ''Blaylock Wellness Report''.  Flagged by Quackwatch,<ref>[http://www.quackwatch.com/search/webglimpse.cgi?ID=1&query=blaylock Webglimpse Search Results for "Bayblock"]. Quackwatch.  Named in three different articles on medical quackery.</ref> among others.<ref>[http://whitecoatunderground.com/?p=272 Did I come late to the game?] ''White Coat Underground''.  October 2, 2007.</ref>
*John Cooksey, M.D., former [[Republican Party|Republican]] congressman from [[Louisiana]]. Ran for the Senate in 2002 but lost in the GOP primary after controversy resulting from him comparing Middle Eastern turbans to "diapers fastened by fan belts."<ref>Christopher Hitchens, [http://www.slate.com/id/2149377/ Remembering Ari Fleischer's reign of terror]. Slate Magazine.</ref>
*David McKalip, M.D., circulated a Photoshopped picture of [[Barack Obama]] as a supposed "witch-doctor" (actually [[Papua New Guinea]]n in traditional dress) with a bone through his nose, on a [[Tea Party]] mailing list.<ref>Zachary Roth, [https://archive.ph/wpYUl Conservative Activist Forwards Racist Pic Showing Obama As Witch Doctor]. Archived from TPMMuckraker, 23 July 2009.</ref>
*[[Joseph Mercola]], D.O., Runs Mercola.com.  Flagged by Quackwatch.<ref>[http://www.quackwatch.com/search/webglimpse.cgi?ID=1&query=mercola Webglimpse Search Results for "Mercola"]. Quackwatch. Named in six different articles on medical quackery.</ref>
*[[Ron Paul]], M.D., former Republican congressman from [[Texas]] and erstwhile [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[2008 U.S. Presidential Election#Ronald E. "Ron" Paul|Presidential candidate]].
*[[Rand Paul]], M.D., son of Ron Paul and current Republican senator from [[Kentucky]].
*[[Paul Broun]], M.D.,<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6HRlGHpTJg Rep. Paul Broun, MD speaks to Doctors about Healthcare Reform] (AAPS YouTube)</ref> Republican congressman from [[Georgia]]. He is a passionate critic of Obamacare. He is also an admitted [[Young Earth Creationist]] and, despite being a physician, doesn't believe in embryology.<ref>Matt Pearce, [http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-paul-broun-evolution-hell-20121007,0,4628858.story U.S. Rep. Paul Broun: Evolution a lie ‘from the pit of hell’]. ''Los Angeles Times'', 7 October 2012.</ref>
*Jane Orient, M.D., executive director, science fiction writer,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100604062727/http://www.janeorient.com/Moonshine.htm E-book only]</ref> signatory to [[A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism]], and contact for many organisations operating out of the same office.
*Tom Price, [[Donald Trump]]'s first Secretary of Health and Human Services,<ref>Charles P. Pierce, [http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a38354/surprise-new-house-majority-leader-crazy/ The GOP's Search for a New House Majority Leader Is a Race to the Bottom]. ''Esquire'', 29 September 2015.</ref> now ex Secretary of Health and Human Services.<ref>Peter Baker, [https://archive.ph/nZWBR Health Secretary Tom Price Resigns After Drawing Ire for Chartered Flights]. Archived from ''The New York Times'', 29 September 2017.</ref> Confirmed by a 52-47 vote in the Senate in an overnight session on a party line vote.<ref>Ted Barrett, [https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/09/politics/tom-price-confirmation-vote/index.html Senate confirms Tom Price for HHS post]. ''CNN'', 9 February 2017.</ref> At a CNN town hall in March 2017, he suggested vaccination policy should be left up to the states.<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2017/03/15/hhs-tom-price-says-states-should-decide-on-vaccinations.html] HHS Secretary Tom Price Says States Should Decide on Vaccines]. ''The Daily Beast'', 15 March 2017.</ref> After first glossing over the town hall attendee's original question that mentioned vaccine choice. He served for 231 days, when he resigned in the wake of a scandal involving the use of about $1 million in agency operating funds to charter private jets to fly to Philadelphia,<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/19/tom-price-chartered-planes-flights-242908 Price’s private-jet travel breaks precedent] by Rachana Pradhan and Dan Diamond. ''Politico''</ref> and for utilizing US military aircraft to travel to Asia and Europe.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/28/tom-price-military-jets-europe-asia-hhs-243276 Price took military jets to Europe, Asia for over $500K] by Rachana Pradhan and Dan Diamond. ''Politico''</ref> Presumably so he wouldn’t catch whatever the commoners in coach class were likely contagious with.

==Conflicts==
According to their literature:

{{quotebox|AAPS members believe this patient-physician relationship must be protected from all forms of third-party intervention.}}

*The organization, a third party to the Schiavo case, interfered in the relationship between the patient's advocate and physicians, even helping to bring the power of the federal government to bear on a single medical case.
*AAPS advocates for so-called "freedom of conscience" where patients are denied legal drugs, treatments, and information based on the morals of the provider rather than the patient.
*AAPS views patient advance directives designed for dignity at the end-of-life as a financial plot to kill patients in order to save money.<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/newsletters/june05.htm Dependency and Death]. AAPS Online, June 2005.</ref>

==Quackery==
The society's [[pseudojournal]] JPANDS has published an article on [[Schlafly%2C_breast_cancer_and_abortion|the supposed link between breast cancer and abortion]].<ref>Carroll, Patrick S., M.A. [http://www.jpands.org/vol12no3/carroll.pdf Breast Cancer Epidemic:  Modeling and Forecasts Based on Abortion and Other Risk Factors]. 2007.</ref>  It has been roundly debunked.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20110513112736/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs240/en/index.html Induced abortion does not increase breast cancer risk]. ''Fact sheet N°240''. World Health Organization. June 2000.</ref><ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2007/10/tagteaming_with_orac_bad_bad_b.php Tag-Teaming with Orac: Bad, Bad Breast Cancer Math in JPANDS].  ''Good Math, Bad Math''.  ScienceBlogs.  October 25, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2007/10/abortion_and_breast_cancer_the_chicago_t.php Abortion and breast cancer: The Chicago Tribune feeds the myth]. ''Respectful Insolence'', ScienceBlogs, October 25, 2007.</ref>  Near the end of the 2008 Presidential Election the "journal" published a claim that Barack Obama uses neuro-linguistic programming to exercise mind control over people at his rallies.<ref>[http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0089 Oratory—or hypnotic induction?]  ''News of the Day... In Perspective''.  AAPS Online, October 25, 2007.</ref>

On their website, former AAPS president Dr. Lawrence Huntoon describes peer review boards which review complaints against doctors as "an insidious and spreading evil which threatens to destroy not only the integrity of the medical profession but quality care for all patients."<ref>[http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100924/NEWS0106/309240084/1008/NEWS01/Rand+Paul+part+of+AAPS+doctors++group+airing+unusual+views  Rand Paul part of AAPS doctors' group airing unusual views]. ''Courier Journal'', 24 September 2010.</ref>

==Stepping into the fray==
In the midst of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, they released a survey purporting to show that a large number of medical professionals harbor grave concerns about Hillary Clinton's health; specifically, that her health is in such a poor state that it "could be disqualifying for the position of President of the U.S."<ref>[https://aaps.wufoo.com/reports/poll-concerns-about-candidate-health/ The survey (September 9, 2016)]</ref> Of course, ''who'' these medical professionals are is nowhere to be found.

What's that? Did I hear you say ''they could be the doctors in the AAPS?!1?!?!11!?!''  That's patently absurd. Don't be ridiculous. Are you high?

==See also==
*[[American College of Pediatricians]]

==External links==
*[http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2005/medicine.html An analysis of the organization's pseudojournal]
*[http://www.jpands.org The pseudojournal itself]
*[http://www.aapsonline.org/ AAPS official website]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20130401044251/http://neurodiversity.com/weblog/article/91/ Thorough evisceration of the AAPS by Kathleen Seidel on her neurodiversity.com blog *doffs cap*]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Anti-vaccination movement]]
[[Category:Andrew Schlafly]]
[[Category:Misnomers]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoting organizations]]

Categories: Anti-vaccination movement, Andrew Schlafly, Misnomers, Pseudoscience promoting organizations