Paul M. Fleiss
 |
This article or section is in the middle of an expansion or major restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well. If this article or section has not been edited in several days, please remove this template. This article was last edited by Jakew (talk | contribs) 0 seconds ago. (Purge) |
Paul Murray Fleiss M.D. (born September 8, 1933[1]) is an American who has been a pediatrician, pediatric professor,[2] scholar,[3] author,[2] and public lecturer,[3] known for unconventional medical views.[4] He is widely sought after as a physician in Southern California.[5] Fleiss was assistant professor of medicine at the University of Southern California and has a number of scientific publications.[6][7] He lectures widely on social issues, being compared to Aldous Huxley by Huxley's wife Laura Archera Huxley in this regard.[7] A biography movie was made about Fleiss in 1996 called The Good Doctor: The Paul Fleiss Story.[8][unreliable source?]
His career was characterized as a celebrity pediatrician, with Shawn Hubler of the Los Angeles Times describing him in 1995 as "Everyone's Favorite Baby Doctor" and "30 years as one of Southern California's most sought-after physicians".[5] In 2007, however, Carla Hall of the LA Times described him as "a doctor with a history that includes a felony conviction in 1995, a public reprimand and a one-year term of probation from the Medical Board of California in 1996 ... [who] began another state medical board probationary period".[9] He is a pediatrician for numerous celebrities or their children.[7]
Contents |
[edit] History
Fleiss initially trained as a pharmacist and osteopath. He relocated from Detroit to California to take advantage of 1962 legislation allowing an osteopath to convert his degree to an MD.[5] He earned his B.S. in pharmacy from Wayne State University, his D.O. from the University of California, Irvine, and his M.P.H. from the University of California, Los Angeles. As of 2012, Fleiss was no longer listed on the University of Southern California faculty.
[edit] Publications
Fleiss had 28 papers indexed in Pubmed spanning 1979 to 1998, most of which were letters or case reports.[citation needed]
Fleiss is also the author of three books:
- Sweet Dreams, a book on baby sleep published in 2000.
- Your Premature Baby Comes Home with Juliette M. Alsobrooks published in 2001.
- What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Circumcision: Untold Facts on America's Most Widely Perfomed-and Most Unnecessary-Surgery with Frederick M. Hodges published in 2002.
[edit] Medical views and opinions
Fleiss is known for his unconventional medical views.[4] He is a breastfeeding advocate,[5] anti-circumcision activist,[10] and a proponent of the "family bed".[11] While he recommends that his patients receive vaccines, he does not insist upon it.[9] He is quoted by the Los Angeles Times as stating that he 'could be "convinced either way" on whether HIV causes AIDS'.[4]
[edit] Pediatrician practice
Fleiss is a popular pediatrician in Southern California, described in the Los Angeles Times as "everyone's favorite baby doctor" and having been "one of Southern California's most sought-after physicians" for thirty years.[5] Sometimes described in the media as a "pediatrician to the stars",[12] he counts numerous celebrities or their children among his patients, including Leonardo Dicaprio, Madonna, Pamela Anderson, Harrison Ford, Robert Deniro, and Cindy Crawford.[7]
In 2005, Fleiss was investigated for his role in the death from untreated AIDS of Eliza Jane Scovill, the daughter of AIDS denialist Christine Maggiore, who was HIV-positive.[13] Against standard medical practice, Scovill was never tested for HIV, and Fleiss was investigated by the Medical Board of California for gross negligence in her care as well as in the care of a second child who was also HIV-positive.[9][14] After receiving over 100 letters of support for Fleiss from patients and parents, the Medical Board reached a settlement in which Fleiss conceded a failure to maintain adequate medical records and agreed to regular review by an outside physician acting as a monitor.[9][15][16]
[edit] Awards and recognitions
Fleiss received the Founders Award from the La Leche League, a breast feeding advocacy group.[17]
[edit] Conspiracy and bank fraud conviction
Fleiss is the father of "Hollywood madam" Heidi Fleiss. In 1994, Fleiss was charged with helping to conceal the income from his daughter's prostitution ring by depositing the money in his name.[18] He pled guilty to three felony charges of conspiracy and bank fraud,[19] and was sentenced to one day in prison and community service.[9] Following the felony convictions, the Medical Board of California placed him on probation for 1 year and publicly reprimanded him for "unprofessional conduct" and "dishonesty".[9]
[edit] References
- ^ "Fleiss, Paul M. 1933". HighBeam Research. 2005-01-01. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3414300103.html.
- ^ a b "Paul Fleiss, MD, MPH, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics, University of Southern California Medical Center, pediatrician, and author", Seventh Annual International Symposium on Human Rights and Modern Society, Georgetown University Conference Center, April 2002
- ^ a b "Pediatrician, scholar and lecturer, Paul Fleiss", Did Father Know Best?, Shawn Hubler, Los Angeles Times, April 09, 1995
- ^ a b c Charles Ornstein and Daniel Costello (September 24, 2005). "A Mother's Denial, a Daughter's Death". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/24/local/me-eliza24. "Fleiss, Gordon and Incao all are known for their unconventional approaches to medicine."
- ^ a b c d e "Paul Fleiss Was Everyone's Favorite Baby Doctor... 30 years as one of Southern California's most sought-after physicians", Did Father Know Best?, Shawn Hubler, Los Angeles Times, April 09, 1995
- ^ "Paul M. Fleiss, MD, MPH, is assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California Medical Center. He is the author of numerous scientific articles published in leading national and international medical journals.", Mothering: The Magazine of Natural Family Living, Winter 1997, pp. 36-45
- ^ a b c d Introduction to Paul Fleiss eulogy for Laura Archera Huxley, Proceedings of the 4th Annual Aldous Huxley Symposium, Huntington Library, Pasadena CA, 2008, Aldous Huxley Society, Bernfried Nugel, Editor
- ^ The Good Doctor: The Paul Fleiss Story, 1996, [1]
- ^ a b c d e f Hall, Carla (2007-10-09). "Hollywood madam’s father is placed on probation by state". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/09/local/me-fleiss9. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ Carla Hall (2007-10-09). "Fleiss (the father) is put on probation". http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/09/local/me-fleiss9.
- ^ Beth Frerking (1993-12-05). "Someone's In Our Bed". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-12-05/news/9312050468_1_rearing-sleep-child-abuse/2. "Dr. Paul Fleiss, a Los Angeles pediatrician, raised six children with the "family bed" approach and encourages his patients to do the same"
- ^ Alexandra Jacobs (2007-10-30). "To Snip or Not to Snip—That’s Shalom’s Question". New York Observer. http://www.observer.com/2007/10/to-snip-or-not-to-snipthats-shaloms-question/.
- ^ Charles Ornstein and Daniel Costello (2005-09-24). "A Mother’s Denial, a Daughter’s Death". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/24/local/me-eliza24. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ David T. Thornton (2006-09-13). "Complaint from the Medical Board of California Division of Medical Quality" (PDF). Medical Board of California. Archived from the original on 2008-05-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20080530082403/http://www.aidstruth.org/PaulFleissMedicalReview.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ Cesar A. Aristeiguieta (September 7, 2007). "Decision of the Medical Board of California" (PDF). Medical Board of California. http://www.aidstruth.org/documents/MedBoardResult.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ Cesar A. Aristeiguieta (September 7, 2007). "Paul M. Fleiss, M.D. Before the Medical Board of California In the Matter of the Accusation Against Paul Fleiss, M.D. Stipulated Settlement and Disciplinary Order.". Medical Board of California. http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/fleiss.pdf.
- '^ "Marian Tompson presented Dr. Paul Fleiss with the Founders' Award., It's All about Mothers and Babies, Kathryn Major, Report on sessions from the 2005 LLLI Conference
- ^ "Tax Charges Are Added in Prostitution Case". New York Times. 1994-07-29. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CEFD91739F93AA15754C0A962958260. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ "Hollywood Madam's Father Pleads Guilty". New York Times. 1995-05-12. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE0DE1531F931A25756C0A963958260. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
