Message from the President: Coalition for Quality Hospital Care

Dear members,

I wanted to update you on an escalating issue of concern to our members in California and nationwide. As many of you know, AAEM has voiced its strong opposition to Tenet Health's plan to replace emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and hospitalist groups at up to 11 hospitals in California with one out-of-state physician staffing company, using the profitable emergency medicine contracts to eliminate their anesthesiology and hospitalist subsidies (see my recent President's Message on the topic).

In addition, on July 11, I sent a letter to Tenet on behalf of our organization detailing our concerns (PDF). The letter states that AAEM believes Tenet's plan is "bad for Tenet, bad for its hospitals, bad for its physicians, bad for its patients, and likely runs afoul of federal fee-splitting laws and California's corporate practice of medicine laws." If Tenet moves forward with its plan, other hospital networks may be emboldened to take a similar approach in other parts of the country as well.

The leaders of several groups affected by the current scheme have contacted AAEM and asked for our assistance. I have spoken at length with many of these physicians; have sent letters outlining AAEM’s concerns to the relevant hospital leaders, hospital boards, and medical staffs. Recently, a coalition of concerned physicians, the Coalition for Quality Hospital Care, has been formed and has contacted us for assistance - the Coalition seeks to inform as many physicians as possible about this issue and generate more support against Tenet's plan. The Coalition is not asking for monetary contributions - but requests that AAEM members show their support by joining the coalition. The larger the group voicing concern, the greater chance we have to defeat Tenet's plan.

Time is running out for these physician groups. Tenet plans to meet with the chief executives of its California hospitals on August 31st to address this issue and then a decision is expected shortly thereafter. If you would like to show your concern about Tenet's plan, please take a moment and join the coalition at www.coalitionforqualitycare.com. Thank you for your continued attention to this issue.

Sincerely,
Mark Reiter MD MBA FAAEM
President, American Academy of Emergency Medicine