Acronyms are everywhere in medicine, especially when it comes to credentials. We’ve all seen ID badges with enough letters after a provider’s name to cover the run right off the plastic: MD, PhD, PA-C, ARNP, DO, DNP, ND, CNA, MSN, OT, PT, MPH…the list goes on. The value of these acronyms is that they tell us, as consumers, the qualifications of those we trust with our health care. We trust that providers with “MD” on their badges have completed medical school. We trust that providers with “RN” on their badges have been granted a license to provide nursing care.
What about acronyms like “PSC.D” or “D.PSc.”? Would you know that these acronyms stand for “Diplomat of Pastoral Science” and denote no standard medical degree or formal training?
Recently, [NPR reported](http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/25/475165193/pastoral-medicine-credentials-raise-questions-in-texas) on the rise of emergence of “Bible-based” health care credentials, such as “pastoral provider licenses” issued by the Pastoral Medicine Association, based on Texas. The story follows the Texas State Medical Board’s action against one of these providers, Kaled “Karl” Jawhari, whose HealthCore center advertises for patients seeking help with weight loss, diabetes, and thyroid conditions. Although Jawhari is a chiropractor, he touts himself as a practitioner of “functional medicine” under his license from the Pastoral Medical Association (PMA). He uses the credentials “PSC.D” to attract patients. Texas has begun to crack down on such providers, who may have no formal medical training at all but nonetheless use the credential after paying a fee to PMA.
If you are thinking to yourself, “Only in Texas!”, then think again. The organization issues its “pastoral provider licenses” to members in all 50 states. The [PMA Directory of Pastoral Health and Medicine](http://www.pmadirectory.us/) lists, by my recent count, 37 members who claim they provide services in Washington State, distributed on both sides of the Cascades.
Patients in Washington must be diligent in their selection of providers, particularly when tempted by alternatives promising such services as cures to chronic illnesses and rapid weight loss. Also, be wary of advertisers touting “miracle herbs” and supplements, which are often sold at a high profit by “providers” (only some of whom have any medical training) who insist that they are necessary for treatment. Sometimes these schemes will involve a “Private Membership Association,” in which the patient pays an upfront “membership” amount, sometimes also signing financial obligations and liability releases under pressure from the business.
These schemes have found a home in Washington, despite state and federal efforts to prevent fraud in health care. Earlier this year, Spokane resident Louis Daniel Smith [was sentenced to over four years in federal prison](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/seller-miracle-mineral-solution-sentenced-prison-marketing-toxic-chemical-miracle-cure) for activities surrounding his promotion and sale of chemicals not approved for human consumption. Green, founder of the Private Membership Association “Project Greenlife,” touted an industrial bleach preparation marketed as “MMS” (Miracle Mineral Solution), which he claimed was the cure for everything from malaria to autism.
State and federal investigations can shut down fraudulent providers, but for every Project Greenlife, there are a multitude of other individuals and businesses cashing in on trusting patients, often desperate for help with chronic health issues. Consumers must remember: Sham providers are very unlikely to carry any sort of malpractice or negligence coverage, and the consumer will likely be left holding the bag if the treatment causes injury.
Not all “alternative” medicine is quackery, of course. But when the letters after someone’s name seem questionable, or when discussing care with a provider feels more like watching a late-night infomercial, protect yourself by asking questions, [checking up on credentials online](https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/providercredentialsearch/SearchCriteria.aspx), and using your common sense. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
