In the wake of physician resignations, some employees with Wakefield, R.I.-based South County Health have taken a "no confidence" vote in management, according to ABC affiliate WLNE.
Forty South County Health physicians and staff recently penned an open letter to South County's leadership, citing concerns over oncologist resignations, staffing levels, service eliminations and system President and CEO Aaron Robinson's "abrupt, callous and confrontational" management style.
Save South County Health, a coalition of physicians, healthcare providers, patients and community members, has also started a petition to highlight their broader systemic and administrative concerns.
Most recently, during a routine medical staff event held at a local brewery, Steven Fera, MD, a retired cardiologist and honorary member of the medical staff, solicited a "no confidence" vote from medical staff attendees at the end of the event, a South County Health spokesperson said in a statement shared with Becker's.
The spokesperson said the vote occurred "despite South County Health's board of trustees' unanimous vote of full confidence in South County Health's president/CEO and administrative team on Sept. 12."
"Less than 10% of the voting members of the medical staff were present," the spokesperson added. "The meeting agenda did not include any notice that such a matter would be raised or voted on at the meeting. We look forward to working with South County Health's leadership of the medical staff as we learn more."