Ling resigns from medical board

CARSON CITY (AP) - Louis Ling resigned Friday as executive director of the State Board of Medical Examiners.

Dr. Charles Held, board president, announced Ling's resignation, effective immediately, late Friday in a statement posted on the board's Web site.

Held said Douglas Cooper, the board's chief of investigations, will fill the director's position on in interim basis.

Ling's departure follows upheaval in the medical community spurred by an emergency regulation adopted by the board to clarify whether medical assistants can give injections.

Ling is the second medical board official to resign this week. Board member Jean Stoess resigned at the urging of Gov. Jim Gibbons after sharing a confidential memo concerning the judge's ruling to a member of the media.

To calm public health fears with flu season approaching, the board and key lawmakers on Tuesday said medical assistants under supervision of a physician could continue to give injections.