NEWS: Lyme lobbyist Herb Dorken has passed away
The legislative advocate helped pass six Lyme-related bills in California
2001 was a pivotal year for the California Lyme Disease Association (now called LymeDisease.org). That’s when Dr. Herbert Dorken, Ph.D, then a retired legislative advocate, came out of retirement to help pass Lyme-related legislation in California.
Over a period of six years, the following legislation was passed and chaptered into law:
1. CA. Assembly Bill 2125 Lyme Disease Work Comp for Forest Service, Fire Protection and Police.
2. CA. Assembly Bill 1091 Lyme Disease Mandatory Laboratory Reporting [criteria for surveillance purposes only, not for diagnosing patients].
3. CA. Assembly Bill 592 Lyme Disease Physician Protection [for medical professionals treating Lyme disease].
4-6. CA. Senate Concurrent Resolutions, declaring Lyme Disease Awareness Month of May 2006-09.
Dr. Dorken passed away this summer at age 87. His passing follows the loss of his beloved wife Irene. Herb is survived by his daughter Sandy of Grass Valley, California and son Brad of Shasta, California.
The photo above was taken a year or so ago, with LymeDisease.org volunteers Mary Beth Faulkner and Stephanie Propp.
LymeDisease.org’s secretary and senior VP Barbara Barsocchini said, “I’m honored to have known Herb. He was a colleague and mentor, but more importantly, a friend.”
Thank you, Doctor, for paving the way on what has been a difficult, difficult road for many of us. Your efforts will not have been in vain.
My condolences to the family of Dr. Dorken. I am so grateful for his efforts, which made it possible for me to be treated for my Lyme Disease in California. My deepest thanks and sympathies.
My condolences to the family, your work for Lyme disease awareness was not done in vain and will be remembered. We need more heroes like you to continue to vigilant work to raise awareness. May God Bless all of you..
Thank you Dr. Dorkin : You made it possible for many Canadians to find treatment also. We are sincerely grateful. You will be remembered for making huge steps towards the betterment of treatment for those afflicted with Lyme. Your loved ones must be so proud: may they be comforted & filled with beautiful memories.
Sheryl Bjerre Vancouver, B.C.
Sheryl, I have been trying to contact you since I learned that Pat died. Please message me on Facebook. Lila Arnold.
Wichita Kansas
Pat and I were best of friends as you may recall.
We have a lot to thank him for. What he accomplished will help so many people.
Herb was a trooper. Until at least last fall he was working on a giant healthcare plan he thought was much better than the Affordable Health Care plan. I forget how many pages it had – hundreds at least. He seemed to have some connections in DC who were encouraging him. He slowed down but he never stopped.
Even after his long experience with legislation as lobbyist for the California Psychological Association and dealing with some contentious issues for them, he was surprised by the strength of the opposition to our bills, the subterfuge and sabotage, the misrepresentations and just plain hostility.
We were so lucky to be the beneficiaries of his experience and his energy. He was a fighter. If a bill got turned down, the next year he would come back with an even stronger one.
He is — was — the Lyme community’s only volunteer lobbyist to date. We will miss him.
Your memorial is one of great gratitude for all those you helped with the legislation in California. There is still so much work needed to be done with the treatment of Lyme and its co infections and just recognizing that it does exist in California and is spreading. I do hope in the future more research is done with the treatment modalities so chronic Lyme can get cured. It has affected our daughter who was a officer and had to retire due to her illness. You were a great man and hope others will follow in your footsteps.
Thank You Dr. Dorken.
Thanks to Dr. Dorken for his work on the behalf of lyme patients. A special place in Heaven is reserved for him. May he inspire from above.
Thank you Herb Dorkin for all that you did to support Lyme disease and the many people who suffer from it everyday. Our thoughts and prayers go out to your family for such a loss not just for them but for all that knew him and knew about all he did for the cause of Lyme disease. I hope and pray by his fine and noble work and example someone as smart and knowledgable as him will pick up the torch and keep running with it. We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go as far as diagnosing Lyme disease in it’s late stages and ins. companies paying for the newest testing and treatments.
Thank you Dr. Dorken.