In response to a letter from its medical executive committee threatening to resign unless certain administrative leaders step down, CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck (N.D.) has created a panel to address concerns expressed in the letter.
Thirteen of 14 physicians on the hospital's medical executive committee threatened to resign from the committee unless Jeffrey Drop, division executive officer of Catholic Health Initiative's Fargo division; Benjamin Chaska, MD, CMO of the Fargo division; and Francine Kyaw, division director of the Fargo division all stepped down.
The administrators did not resign, though members of the medical executive committee did. The physicians who quit the executive committee continue to practice at the hospital.
"The medical executive committee continues to function with the prior members who did not resign," a spokesperson for the hospital emailed Becker's. "The remaining MEC members will identify additional physicians to serve as department chairs and section chiefs to replace those physicians who have resigned.”
The newly formed committee will look to establish a dialogue between clinical and administrative leaders to work on issues cited in the letter, including declining physician engagement and decreased quality of care.
"We have created a nine-person working subcommittee that will be comprised of members of the board of directors, members of the medical executive committee and CHI administration to engage in dialogue to work through the issues before us and determine next steps," according to the statement. "We fully support the leadership of CHI St. Alexius Health as it continues to provide quality care and a viable health care facility for the future."