Becker's Hospital Review

December 2019 Becker's Hospital Review

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39 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY Wayne State sends termination notices to 110 physicians By Ayla Ellison D etroit-based Wayne State University sent termination notices to 110 pe- diatricians on Oct. 14. e pediatri- cians, who work for the university's medical school and Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, can either join WSU's pediatrics group or lose their jobs with the university in November, according to e Detroit News. e move comes aer University Pediatri- cians, the physicians' practice group, began a new partnership with Central Michigan University earlier this year and stopped pay- ing WSU funds it uses to pay the physicians' salaries. University Pediatricians owes WSU nearly $18 million, according to the report. "We very much regret the necessity of taking this measure, but we are afraid we have no option, due to the failure of University Pedi- atricians, PC to fulfill its financial obligation on your behalf," reads the letter, signed by Herman Gray, MD, chair of WSU's pediat- rics department, and Jack Sobel, MD, dean of the WSU School of Medicine, according to the report. Dr. Gray told e Detroit News that the dis- pute between WSU and University Pediatri- cians, which has lasted for three years, is de- tracting from the university's core mission. University Pediatricians President Mary Lu Angelilli, MD, called the university's move "disappointing" in a letter sent to pediatri- cians Oct. 15, according to e Detroit News. "Each of you have given tirelessly over de- cades serving as their Department of Pedi- atrics and you certainly did not deserve the lack of care and disrespect that these letters cast upon you," Dr. Angelilli wrote. "UP will not allow its membership to suffer as a result of WSU's reckless actions." n Tennessee reverses decision not to discipline nurse for fatal medication error By Mackenzie Bean T he Tennessee Department of Health on Sept. 27 filed medical discipline charges against RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse at Nashville-based Van- derbilt University Medical Center who accidentally injected a 75-year-old patient with a fatal medication dose in 2017, reported the Tennessean. The publication discovered the charges in October after obtaining state docu- ments through an open records request. The medical board charged Ms. Vaught with unprofessional conduct, abandoning or neglecting a patient that required her care and failing to maintain an accurate patient record. The health department's move comes about eight months after the state investi- gated Ms. Vaught and decided not to pursue disciplinary measures. In early 2019, Ms. Vaught was also indicted on charges of reckless homicide and impaired adult abuse. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Health declined the Tennesse- an's request to comment on Ms. Vaught's case or say why the department reversed its decision. n Tryon Medical Partners CEO: Our mission is to 'free physicians from hospital systems' By Ayla Ellison N early 100 physicians split from Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health last year to form an independent medical group called Tryon Medical Partners. Now, more physicians are joining the group, according to The Charlotte Observer. In mid-September, seven physicians said they plan to join Tryon Medical Part- ners after leaving CaroMont Medical Group's South Point Family Practice, part of Gastonia, N.C.-based CaroMont Health. Tryon Medical Partners CEO Dale Owen, MD, expects more physicians to break away from hospitals and join in- dependent practices. Dr. Owen, one of the physicians who spearheaded the effort to split from Atri- um last year, says there are many benefits of having more independent physi- cians in the area. "The whole area is better served from a cost and value standpoint on the pa- tients' behalf if there are more independent doctors, rather than controlled re- ferral patterns," he told The Charlotte Observer. Tryon Medical Partners filed a lawsuit against Atrium in 2018, alleging physi- cians employed by the system were ordered to refer patients to facilities owned or managed by Atrium. Atrium denies those allegations. "Atrium Health physicians always focus on what is best for patients," the system said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. "… Atrium works hard to be the first and best choice for care, and we are proud that is so often the case." n

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