The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock resumed its cardiac surgery program about two months after it was suspended due to a lead surgeon's retirement, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.
Six things to know:
1. Two physicians from the Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock started working part time at University of Arkansas July 2, Leslie Taylor, vice chancellor of communications and marketing at University of Arkansas, told the Democrat-Gazette. Another surgeon will start working part time at University of Arkansas as well as part time at another area hospital July 19, and a fourth surgeon will join the staff in October, while also working part time at another hospital.
"We had been working toward resuming everything that we did before," Ms. Taylor said.
The four physicians are working at University of Arkansas on contract from the other institutions, Ms. Taylor said.
2. The program's suspension came days after former lead surgeon Gareth Tobler, MD, retired April 27. In the next few months, University of Arkansas had one part-time cardiac surgeon, Aytekin Ozdemir, MD. The hospital diverted patients to other facilities for major surgeries but still performed some procedures, such as cardiac catheterization, stents and some aortic repairs. Dr. Ozdemir's divides his time between University of Arkansas and the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock.
3. "The decision was made to temporarily suspend the program because we didn't think it was feasible for this surgeon to work part time at UAMS and at the VA, and also be on call 24 hours a day to provide coverage for cardiac surgery," Ms. Taylor previously told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
4. The University of Arkansas laid off about 260 employees (5.5 percent of the hospital's 10,900 employees) in January to curb an anticipated $72.3 million deficit. Those layoffs included one full-time physician, Ms. Taylor said.
5. The program's suspension did not affect the University of Arkansas College of Medicine's teaching program, Ms. Taylor said, though students completed clinical work at other providers.
6. "It's important for the state's only academic medical center to have a cardiac program," Ms. Taylor said. "We're certainly very pleased to be able to recruit people of this caliber."
The University of Arkansas is the first and only Arkansas healthcare provider to be certified as a comprehensive stroke center by The Joint Commission, the hospital announced July 13.