Billings (Mont.) Clinic's contract with Billings Anesthesiology expired Feb. 9, with the health system aiming to create its own fully staffed anesthesiology department, according to Montana's News Leader.
The hospital has had a contract with Billings Anesthesiology, one of the largest anesthesiology groups in the state, for decades, but the change is causing concern among staff at Billings Clinic, according to the report.
Nurses are worried that losing contracted anesthesia providers will create gaps in services, with the hospital already having difficulty recruiting workers and resources stretched to a maximum, according to the report.
In August, Billings Clinic was designated as the state's first Level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, allowing it to accept more emergency patients from across the region. About $30 million was invested into equipment and upgrades to increase care and improve revenue at a time when the cost of providing care has increased significantly.
Billings Clinic leaders swatted away rumors that the hospital is asking surgeons to limit the procedures they schedule and maintained that forming its own anesthesiology department will fill a void in care.
"Anesthesia was the only major service line that was not an employee of the clinic," Dusty Richardson, MD, president of medical staff at Billings Clinics, told Montana's News Leader. "Bringing them on as members of the clinic really allows us to plan with them, offer better patient care and better patient safety."
A fully staffed department would require between 30 and 40 anesthesiologists, according to the report. The hospital will rely on traveling anesthesiologists and other contracted workers in the meantime.
"Billings Clinic is creating a department of anesthesia services similar to all other physician specialties across our organization," a spokesperson for the system told Becker's. "We have partnered with the excellent physicians from Billings Anesthesiology for years. We are encouraging them to apply to continue their relationship with Billings Clinic as members of our new department of anesthesia services."
The health system said it has plans in place with additional contracted services to cover anesthesia needs during the transition period.