Senator under health board investigation calls KU doctor 'Kansas Dr. Fauci' as COVID rates worsen

As Kansas has one of the highest COVID-19 case rates in the country, a state senator and physician who promotes unproven drugs announced Wednesday that he is under investigation by the state health board.

Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson and an anesthesiologist, is one of the backers of a bill that promotes off-label prescriptions of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against using either drug to treat or prevent COVID-19.

"I am under investigation by the board for a year and a half now," Steffen said. "They clearly have no interest in resolving it. They're using it to hold over me to think they're going to silence me, as I serve as a state senator. Obviously, that's not working out for them."

Steffen is backing Senate Bill 381, which was discussed by the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee.

More: Kansas bill would force pharmacists to fill ivermectin, HCQ as off-label COVID treatment

In addition to removing any liability for doctors who prescribe off-label drugs to treat COVID-19 and forcing pharmacists to fill the prescriptions, the bill as currently written would ban the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts from investigating physicians over any COVID-19 "recommendation, prescription, us or opinion."

Gov. Laura Kelly dismissed the notion of holding up the investigation for political purposes.

"I can't take credit for it," Kelly said, joking. "This is the first I've heard of it."

In written testimony, the healing arts board insinuated that the bill would block the board's mission of protecting the public. It also warned that the bill would not require physicians to adhere to the standard of care and standards of professional conduct when prescribing off-label drugs.

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Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, has been critical of politicians who oppose vaccination and masking while promoting ivermectin.

Steffen dismissed Stites as "the Kansas Dr. Fauci" and accused him of spreading "propaganda." Steffen called for a "panel of physicians and scientists from both sides of this issue to meet" in Hays. The Senate committee featured several physicians who supported ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

Stites said the bill would "reward made up news" during a Wednesday media briefing. The call featured 17 doctors, many of whom are chief medical officers, who discussed hospital challenges during the pandemic surge and opposition to the off-label bill.

"I'm not aware," said KU infectious disease specialist Dana Hawkinson, "that any of the people wanting to do this are board-certified infectious disease specialists, pharmacologists, virologists, immunologists, public health officials."

Hawkinson said reputable studies show no benefit from ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine for treating or preventing COVID-19.

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"This is a significant disruption to how we practice," Stites said. "I'm not going to go tell you how to practice agriculture, I'm not going to go tell you how to do aerospace engineering, but I've got folks trying to tell me how I write prescription medications and that I have to fill it, even if I know it's against what should happen."

In a combined written testimony, the KU health system and Ascension Via Christi opposed the bill. Their medical leaders also said they would be "happy to engage in a more complete dialog about why we believe this to be unnecessary and inappropriate public policy."

Federal data show Kansas has the fourth-highest rate of new COVID-19 cases in the country, with more than 2,500 new cases per 100,000 people over the past week.

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COVID-19 rates worsen in Kansas

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 14,163 new cases between Monday and Wednesday, as well as 141 new hospitalizations and 52 new deaths.

Over the past week, KDHE reported that children accounted for 13,577 new cases, 11 new hospitalizations and one new death.

Children and the elderly are especially affected by clusters. The state has 349 active outbreaks as of Wednesday, up from 74 a week ago. The KDHE cluster report shows 199 active outbreaks at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, while there are 53 schools, 23 day cares and five sporting activities with outbreaks reported.

"This is hands down the toughest surge the medical community has had to face since the pandemic began," Stites said.

Physicians have said the vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated or not boosted.

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Topeka hospital leaders have requested a mask mandate from Shawnee County leaders, "but unfortunately they did not hear us," said Jackie Hyland, chief medical officer at KU's St. Francis campus.

"We're still seeing an increase in patients here," said Kevin Dishman, chief medical officer at Stormont Vail Health. "Continue to have a 45% test positivity rate, so it remains widespread in our community."

Andrew Bahl of the Capital-Journal contributed reporting.

Jason Tidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Tidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Sen. Mark Steffen calls KU doctor 'Kansas Dr. Fauci'