Motherisk: Sick Children's Hospital Toronto; Oversight of the Motherisk program under independent review launched by the provincial government to assess the accuracy and reliability of hair drug tests conducted there has been reassigned, The Toronto Star reports. Hospital will not comment on whether Dr. Gideon Koren has been removed as head of the program or whether he is currently under investigation. Oversight was reasigned after the Star questioned ties between Koren and a drug company.

STORY: "Sick Kids reassigns oversight of the Motherisk program," by reporter Rachel Mendleson, published by the Toronto Star on March 28, 2015.

SUB-HEADING: "Decision follows Star’s probe of financial links between director Gideon Koren and a Quebec company whose anti morning-sickness drug he promoted in a booklet for pregnant women."

PHOTO CAPTION:  "Gideon Koren ran the Motherisk lab program at the Hospital for Sick Children, which has announced it has "reassigned medical oversight" of the program."

GIST:  "The Hospital for Sick Children says it has temporarily “reassigned medical oversight” of its controversial Motherisk lab program, in the wake of questions from the Star about ties between its director, Gideon Koren, and the Quebec-based drug company Duchesnay. Sick Kids is also “actively reviewing the disclosure practices on the Motherisk website, and (has) updated the site to clarify the relationship between Motherisk and Duchesnay,” hospital spokeswoman Gwen Burrows said.  “We take these matters very seriously and continue to investigate,” she said. Burrows would not comment on whether Koren has been removed as head of the program or whether he is currently under investigation.  “We can’t discuss employment issues with the paper,” she said. “It is … the right of employees to have some privacy.  She confirmed that Koren, who founded the Motherisk program, is still employed at the hospital.  Sick Kids temporarily suspended non-research operations at the Motherisk lab earlier this month pending  pending the results of an independent review launched by the provincial government to assess the accuracy and reliability of the hair drug tests conducted there."

The entire story can be found at:

http://t.thestar.com/#/article/news/gta/2015/03/28/sick-kids-reassigns-oversight-of-motherisk-program.html?referrer=

PS: For latest coverage of the Mark Lundy retrial  go to: 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/mark-lundy-murder-retrial  


PUBLISHER'S NOTE: 

Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
 
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.

The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
 
http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html
 
I look forward to hearing from readers at:

hlevy15@gmail.com.
 
Harold Levy; Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog;