Eileen Elliott, Esq., received the Citizen of the Year Award from the Vermont Medical Society, which is presented to a nonphysician who has made a significant contribution to the health of the people of Vermont. A partner in the Burlington law firm of Dunkiel, Saunders, Elliott, Raubvogel and Hand, Elliott was instrumental in the VMS’s U.S. Supreme Court support of a Vermont law banning data mining companies from selling prescription information to drug companies. Ms. Elliott dedicated countless hours to the effort, including drafting an amicus brief in support of the law that forcefully called for the protection of medical privacy and reinforced the importance of the doctor-patient relationship.
“It was a privilege to receive this award,” said Elliott. “I share it with my partners, who wholeheartedly supported the time and effort we put into writing the amicus brief, and with my colleagues Jessica Oski, Geoff Hand and Elizabeth Catlin, who were directly responsible for the quality of our arguments. We all believe the doctor/patient relationship has to be carefully protected from intrusion and exploitation by outsiders who want to use it solely to make money. Although we disagree with the Court’s decision, we will never regret the honor of standing up for doctors who are sick of being targeted for pharmaceutical marketing schemes that focus on the drug more than the patient.”
Excerpted from The Green Mountain Physician.
