Joplin surgeon appointed to Head Injury Advisory Council

Gov. Matt Blunt announced the appointment today of Dr. M. Ellen Nichols, 49, Joplin, who works for Freeman Health Systems, to the Head Injury Advisory Council.
According to the news release from the governor, Dr. Nichols holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Kansas-Lawrence and a medical degree from the University of Chicago. Nichols' appointment is subject to Senate confirmation for a term ending on May 12, 2008.
What the news release failed to mention was the maximum $1,200 campaign contribution Dr. Nichols made to the governor on Sept. 23, 2004.
You may recall that on Feb. 11, The Turner Report featured an examination of the governor's newly-appointed Healthcare Information Technology Task Force. Among those appointed to that august panel was Freeman Health System CEO Gary Duncan.
Duncan and his wife, Suzanne, each donated the maximum $1,200 to the governor's re-election campaign on May 5, 2005. An additional $3,600 has been donated by others connected with Freeman, according to Ethics Commission documents. And that's just for the current election cycle. During the 2004 cycle, Duncan contributed $1,200 on Sept. 24, 2004, and his wife donated $100 on Dec. 29, 2003.
I have no doubt Dr. Nichols, a respected neurosurgeon is highly qualified for this appointment, just as I have no doubt that the donation and the Freeman Health contributions also played a role.