Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.
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Bruce Anderson didn't know that the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice existed when his wife died of cancer in 2018. But his search for answers since then about why it took doctors so long to diagnose her condition made him an activist.
Dissatisfied with the handling of his complaint against three of his wife's doctors, Anderson monitors the board's proceedings. He has contacted Gov. Tim Walz and lawmakers about possible reforms and attends a medical board roundtable run by a patient safety organization.
"Accountability is lacking across the country, but in my experience, it's really bad in Minnesota,'' said Anderson, a retired business executive and college instructor who lives in St. Cloud.
A national ranking of state medical boards by the Public Citizen consumer advocacy group agrees with Anderson's assessment, putting Minnesota close to the bottom regarding serious disciplinary actions levied on individual physicians. While the board's executive director disputes that ranking's value, the concerns shared by Anderson and Public Citizen are important context for the recent fiery criticism of the board by Republican gubernatorial candidate Dr. Scott Jensen.