How much medical info is the White House supposed to give?

I don't know - but, I do know they should be honest.

I think Dr. Conley has screwed up his entire career.

Do none of them have the balls to say NO! ?

I don't think it's a legal requirement but I DO think it would be the decent thing to do! Maybe not every detail, but at least they should be honest!!

I can see where certain things would be a problem due to "national security" but... 

Physicians who are treating a patient cannot comment about the patient at all without he patient’s permission. Physicians who are not treating can comment (and have commented) about his condition. However, those not actually treating him do not have access to his medical records and may or may not be accurate.

Dr. Conley is a military physician (USNavy). He is employed by and paid by the DOD. The rules and consequences that a civilian doctor would follow aren’t really applicable here. 

Unfortunately, there will likely be no negative consequences to his career. He followed orders. As long as he stays in the Navy, he will continue to be promoted and paid well for his services. If he didn’t follow orders, THAT is what would have screwed up his career. 

He is young - 40 y.o.  By the time he retires from the Navy, many people will have forgotten his role in this nightmare. 

So, while I wish that there were incentive for his doctors to act in socially and medically responsible ways, including negative consequences when they lie to the American public and allow Trump to put his staff at high risk for contracting COVID, the system is not set up that way, and it just won’t happen. Because the military and its rules and policies. 

What exactly do people think the dr could have done?

You can’t force someone to stay in the hospital.

It may not seem just/right in some cases, but that is how the military works. While in the grand scheme of things the taxpayers provide the DOD with their money, we are NOT in their chain of command. Those who serve have to follow orders, or suffer negative consequences except in very extraordinary circumstances. 

Crozier wasn’t relieved of command and discharged for trying to get help stop the spread of COVID by sending emails and letters, he was fired for going outside the chain of command by leaking those communications to the press. 

The military would not function effectively if everyone in it simply did what they wanted, when they wanted. People who enlist know the parameters when they go in. 

Again, it might not seem just/right from the outside, but those are the rules under which the military is run.

Our best bet as civilians or military members is to vote into the White House a President who will be a good Commander in Chief, because the President influences the military in many ways - including signing off on all officer promotions (hence, Vindman retiring early because he knew Trump wouldn’t sign off approving his promotion). 

It's HIPAA

Well she didn't do a good job explaining that at all.

Darn it, you should have played along

I'm not familiar with the use of the acronyms of not-so-recent-ish US presidents so my brain tried to figure it out on its own and my first spontaneous guess was "Little Bush Junior". 

I told DH if I’m ever taken, unconscious, to WR and Dr. Conley shows up please tell them he is NOT to be involved in my case. LOL No chance of that as we’re much closer to INOVA hospitals for emergencies. Anyway, there’s a lot of good to be had in the military health system, but, yup, rank matters first and foremost!

I agree with elaine. Blame Trump for Conley (and Ronny Jackson before him). We just need a better president.

But about sharing honest information with the public ... we may not have a legal right to know if Trump doesn’t want us to, but politically/morally, the right thing to do is to be upfront with the American people about the situation. We don’t need every detail, but we need an honest assessment of the president’s condition and prognosis.

Especially this president, who lies about everything.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but it isn’t as simple as quitting when you don’t like orders. I hate Trump as much as anyone, and crave more medical transparency, but this isn’t on the military docs. 

When you accept a promotion as an officer in the military, you sign a contract that you WILL stay in for 3 more years.

I don’t know when his last promotion was, but it is likely it has been within the past 3 years. 

If the Navy paid for his medical school, then he had a a 4-year commitment AFTER he finished residency. I would guess that he completed that.  

But I wouldn’t be surprised if he is less than 3-years post his last promotion, and legally cannot “just quit.”

This is on Trump as Commander in Chief and the officers above Conley who were promoted since Trump took office.