Physicians at Kearney, Neb.-based CHI Health Good Samaritan hospital gave a vote of no confidence in the leadership of CHI Health, which owns Good Samaritan, due to the system's ongoing conflict with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, according to The Grand Island Independent.
Previously, Kearney physicians who were dissatisfied decided in 2011 to open their own hospital, the Kearney Regional Medical Center, which opened late last year. Now, physicians from nearby CHI Health St. Francis hospital, based in Grand Island, Neb., are considering opening their own independent hospital too.
"I've been here 30 years," William Marsh, MD, a radiologist with privileges at St. Francis, told The Grand Island Independent. "The morale on the staff is the lowest it's been in my entire time here."
Issues stem from Blue Cross' termination of its contract with CHI Health seven months ago, due to a dispute over pricing in the system's Omaha, Neb.-area facilities. The payer offered to negotiate prices with hospitals separately, but CHI declined. The system is currently negotiating with Blue Cross, according to the report.
CHI Health CEO Cliff Robertson, MD, said he understands the physicians' frustration. He also said hospitals benefit greatly from being part of a larger system and physicians should not worry about hospitals losing services as a result of the dispute with Blue Cross, according to the report.
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