A dozen physicians turned down positions with the Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu after it switched to a new employment contractor, according to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
The 12 affected physicians were part of the Medical Specialists of Hawaii, which previously was under contract to staff the hospital with physicians around the clock.
The hospital switched to a contract with Envision Healthcare Corp., one of the nation's largest physician-staffing companies, which offered the physicians positions, but none accepted, according to the Star-Advertiser.
Although the physicians remain active members of the medical staff at the Queen's Medical Center , they are no longer paid or contracted to care for patients there, according to the report.
Hospital employees told the Star-Advertiser that they were blindsided by the move.
Rick Bruno, vice president of patient care at the medical center, said that patient care and physician coverage will not be affected by the change, but he declined to answer the Star-Advertiser's questions about how it will staff the hospital and how Envision got the contract.
Envision has come under fire for its billing practices. It's been accused of charging insurers and patients higher rates than necessary and not participating in some health plans.