X-Message-Number: 32618
Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:17:37 +0000 (UTC)
From: Melody Maxim <>
Subject: The Myth Regarding Medical Professionals and Cryonics


John de Rivaz (Message 32614) writes: "I have a horrible suspicion that firms 
and individuals willing to participate could not be found, and/or that the 
figures would not add up..."


These are myths, perpetuated by the status quo. As an example: When I (a 
perfusionist, who was willing to work in cryonics) was first hired, at Suspended
Animation, I suggested we contract with a South Florida group, which provides 
per diem perfusionists. My idea was that I would be available for call, all the 
time, with the exception of my four weeks of vacation, per year, and SA could 
pay the per diem group to fill in for those four weeks. That way, SA would have 
a professional perfusionist on call 24/7, 52 weeks a year. I was told, "Real 
medical professionals won't work with us," (a statement I found somewhat 
insulting). Not long after I resigned, I raised a public ruckus when SA sent 
three people, who had no medical experience, whatsoever, to perform a washout, 
(a perfusion procedure). Subsequently, SA contracted with the very same group I 
had previously suggested. Like me, those perfusionists were willing to work in 
cryonics. (To the people who will respond with how expensive SA's current 
arrangement is, and how the perfusion group will only respond to a cryonics case
if they have someone available, that was never the suggestion I made. The 
suggestion was to have one full-time perfusionist and to pay for a per diem 
perfusionist to be there, four weeks a year.)


I am a medical professional, who was willing to work in cryonics. I thought 
cryonics sounded interesting, and I looked at the position at SA as an 
opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something very exciting. In fact, I
left an accelerated academic program, in which I was working toward a second BS
degree, to work at SA. I worked in open-heart surgery for nearly a decade. I 
know many people who are competent at performing the tasks of paramedics, and 
quite a few people capable of performing vascular cannulations and perfusion. If
the experience I had, working in cryonics, had been a good one, I would have 
certainly reached out to some of my friends and acquaintances. Instead, I had to
fight for every suggestion I made, and deal with a lot of subversive activities
which seemed designed to prevent significant changes from being made.


Mr. de Rivaz' suggestion to "get a list of firms and qualified individuals 
willing to participate and a schedule of costs...(t)hen compare this to the 
salaries that are being paid to the people Melody considers unsuitable, and put 
this to the LEF, and see if they would be interested in altering their grant 
structure," isn't realistic. That's not how it works, (especially at this point,
after there have been so many accusations of unethical and unprofessional 
behavior). A medical professional calling a professional acquaintance up, 
saying, "Hey, I've been working with these great people, who are open to 
suggestions, regarding equipment and professionals, and we're making great 
progress. The work is related to the work we did, in surgery; the pay is 
comparable, the benefits are great; and for the time being, there's only a 
handful of cases each year," might get a few initial takers, who would then 
reach out to fellow professionals. As it is, I wouldn't ask anyone to relive my 
experiences at SA, and I don't think it is realistic to think a medical 
professional is going to be able to recruit a team, with something so 
speculative as approaching LEF with a plan for LEF to oust their "loyal" 
employees and consultants, (again, especially in light of the abundance of 
negative publicity, much of it which traces back to LEF-funded individuals and 
companies).


As for the money, there is more than enough. According to Alcor's and LEF's 
forms 990, Alcor and SA's combined expenses for 2008 were in excess of $2.7 
million dollars. For the money they are spending, these two companies could 
easily buy new, state-of-the-art medical equipment, every year, and pay 
professionals to do procedures. (I'm not suggesting new equipment every year, as
that would be absurd, just noting the excessive expenditures.)


The problem lies in a reluctance to rid the industry of people in positions of 
power, who haven't accomplished much, and who have been publicly exposed for 
engaging in unethical and unprofessional activities. Some of these people don't 
want progress; they want the never-ending DIY projects to continue, 
indefinitely. For as long as these people remain, every medical professional who
does happen to gain employment, in cryonics, is likely to be met with the same 
resistance I was. At some point, the professional will realize he/she is not 
going to make any headway and will either; (a) decide the patients are "dead 
already," and keep collecting a healthy paycheck, while not having to do more 
than a few cases a year; (b) walk away and never look back, or (c) walk away in 
disgust and attempt to make the public aware of what they have witnessed.

Melody Maxim

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