Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health will outsource certified registered nurse anesthetists at the health system's Dearborn, Taylor, Trenton and Wayne campuses to NorthStar Anesthesia, an Irving, Texas-based anesthesiology group.
CRNAs at the four campuses are currently employed by Beaumont, while anesthesiologists work for Anesthesia Associates of Ann Arbor. Under a new anesthesida model, CRNAs and anesthesiologists at the four campuses will both work for NorthStar starting Aug. 20.
The change comes after Anesthesia Associates of Ann Arbor decided to terminate its agreement with Beaumont, citing a lack of progress in contract negotiations and what it called Beaumont's "efforts to systematically destabilize anesthesia services."
Beaumont said the change is timely amid the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding choosing NorthStar, Beaumont COO Carolyn Wilson, RN, said in a news release: "We listened to the feedback of our physicians, team members and references to select NorthStar Anesthesia. We know how important it is to our physicians and patients for Beaumont to work with anesthesia groups that deliver high-quality, safe and efficient care and also maintain in-network relationships with insurance companies."
Beaumont said its Royal Oak, Troy, Grosse Pointe and Farmington Hills campuses will also eventually transition to the same anesthesia model, but the health system has not identified/selected the partner for those sites. Beaumont will announce its plans for those campuses over the next few months.
This story was updated at 3:54 p.m. CDT on June 3.