Doctors want changes at El Camino Doctors want changes at El Camino (February 18, 2005)

Debate over anesthesia services continues

By Julie O'Shea

A petition signed by 60 physicians is calling for the El Camino Hospital board of directors to restore "excellent quality" to the anesthesiology department, which has undergone major staffing changes over the past few months.

Hospital board chair Mark O'Connor said "each and every complaint" against the department is being investigated by an independent expert.

Problems started in November when 19 veteran anesthesiologists were ousted from the hospital because of a debate over insurance reimbursement rates. El Camino said the doctors walked off the job. The doctors, however, said they were forced out.

They were immediately replaced by nine physicians who abruptly left jobs with a Fremont hospital to sign contracts with El Camino. Since then, things haven't been the same, according to the petition presented to the hospital board on Feb. 2.

"This hospital should attempt to maintain the excellent quality of anesthesia services that existed prior to (the) closure of the department," wrote a group of surgeons and other doctors currently practicing at El Camino.

The petition does not identify any specific concerns or incidents, but does say the undersigned doctors are concerned about "the quality and structure of anesthesia services at El Camino Hospital."

Hospital officials claim that the former anesthesiologists were overbilling patients and told the group that it would have to accept the rates set by the hospital's insurance companies or find a new place to practice medicine. But the doctors said the reimbursement rates didn't cover all the costs of anesthesia services. The hospital said it couldn't afford to bargain with them anymore and ended the contract talks on Nov. 20 and replaced the longtime El Camino physicians with ones from Fremont.

The hospital said the doctors could apply for their former jobs as long as they are willing to abide by the new rules of the department.

The petitioners are requesting the hospital to not put restrictions on the anesthesiology department in order to "reestablish consistent, high-quality anesthesia care for our patients."

O'Connor said he realizes the changes to the anesthesiology department left many upset, and speculates these complaints may have stemmed from those frustrations. However, O'Connor stressed that patient care and safety is a top priority at El Camino, which is why each complaint is investigated.

"Everybody was upset when these guys walked out," he said.

O'Connor added that in the months since the changes occurred "the number of complaints has dropped off significantly, almost by 80 percent."

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

E-mail a friend a link to this story.