Following a controversial changeover of emergency room staff, the board of Akron, Ohio-based Summa Health System promised Sunday to make changes to address concerns among physicians and other staff, according to a report from The Plain Dealer.
Summa Health abruptly switched ER physician groups on New Year's Day when a contract expired with longtime partner Summa Emergency Associates. On less than a week's notice, the health system began staffing emergency rooms across several locations with physicians from US Acute Care Solutions, a national emergency medicine group. Since then, physicians voted "no confidence" in system leadership and President and CEO Thomas Malone, MD.
In an effort to make amends and address concerns, the board vowed to make five major changes in a statement released Sunday, according to the report. Those changes include the following:
1. Establish a new system culture with the help of an external executive coach.
2. Create an advisory committee of independent and employed physicians to advise the board on staff issues.
3. Fill empty board spots by the end of February.
4. Reevaluate the contract renewal process.
5. Require board oversight of physician contracts and require full board approval to terminate a contract.
Read the full story here.
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