Summa Health, an Ohio Hospital system, recently changed ED contracts from their 40 year group to a new one. On FOUR DAYS’ NOTICE! Four days, over the Christmas/New Year’s Holiday. That sounds distinctly unsafe, beyond the gross lack of sense, or commitment to a 40 year partner.
In case you think this is going smoothly, here’s a post to the ACEP ED Informatics Section from one of their former doctors (reproduced here with permission in its entirety):
I wanted to inform you, my colleagues, about what is going on at my home institution. Â You all know me as a colleague and a fierce advocate of patient safety in EHRs. I have published on EHR patient safety for ACEP task forces and I am heading up a new ACEP task force on EHR patient safety issue reporting. It is with sadness that I have to tell you what is going in right now at my home institution. Â
Summa has gone to paper. Â
About 36 hours ago, our contract was taken over by US Acute Care Solutions (USACS) formerly EMP, through a scandalous process, but they literally created no plan for EHR transition. I was the director of informatics and I, along with the rest of the physicians, was notified 4 days before New Years Eve that we were out. We were told that when the ball dropped, our contract was over. The physicians coming in to take over were to arrive at the facility for the first time 1 hr before their shifts and we were to sign out to doctors that had no EHR access. No access to old records, CPOE, PACS, etc. They went the first 30 hours without access. Nurses were asked to do triage protocols and put the orders in under the new medical director, the only one with an account. This morning at 30 hrs into the process some were to start training.  Now, the only information I get now is hearsay. We strongly believe the EMP/USACS has no chance of safely staffing our 5 EDs with a total of 175k volume using part-time docs who have other full time jobs. Our 55 docs and 20 PAs are sitting at home right now, scared for the patients that show up at the hospitals where their group spent the last 4 decades saving lives. As a board certified clinical informaticist, I offered my services up until midnight when our contract ended but they elected to move another direction. To the patients of Summa, I’m sorry.
Anatomy of a takeover.
As all of you are emergency physicians, I thought you’d be interested in how something like this might happen. It is sort of a tangent to the EHR story, but I’ll include it because it is so interesting. I’ve attached various references and additional information about the ongoing issue. In short, the wife of Dom Bagnoli (USACS/EMP’s CEO) is the individual our hospital assigned to work out the contract renewal. USACS/EMP has long been our chief rival in the area, so this is an obvious conflict of interest. Summa has an ethics policy that against even perceived conflicts, so two of our ED physician executive recused themselves from the process although she did not. EMP had former Summa contracts, but had poor quality, staffing issues, and bad EMS relationships and lost their contracts or sold them to other staffing companies. The hospital system drug its feet on negotiations until the last minute. Contract negotiations failed when Summa (the health system) wanted SEA (Summa Emergency associates-our physician group) to fund the residency core faculty hours and wanted us to continue staffing under-performing stand-alone ERs that were built in inappropriate markets. We found out later that they had already been talking to EMP. Â
EMP is offering $100k signon bonuses, and we have heard they are paying temporary doctors up to $1000 per hour during the first 2 week transition. I do ask you as a colleague not to take advantage of this opportunity–it may benefit you this week, but it hurts us all in the long run. Â
The hospital house staff council has voted no confidence against the CEO. The EM residency director has pulled the EM residents from the ED to keep them from having to work with non-vetted, non-EM, and non-Board certified physicians. He does not believe that it is safe for them and they should not be subject the undue service requirements of a hospital CEO’s bad decisions. Â
We are hopeful that EMP/USACS will not be able to run the residency and the department, and that negotiation will resume to restore a safe emergency care in Akron. Â
Sincerely,
{Redacted}
Newspaper Sources:
While I have no dog in this fight individually, all ED docs need to be aware that this isn’t just happening in the Bad Old Days, it happened this year.
I feel worst for the 55 former physicians and 20 PA’s of the Summa ED’s who were so disrespected by Summa, and fellow Emergency Physicians. It will make it very hard for them to trust in their new employment, wherever that may be. I hope they don’t take the money bait and help bail these new contract holders out.
For those who aren’t familiar with the title of this post, here’s a link to the original book The Rape of Emergency Medicine as a free .pdf.
Great story. Much of which is misleading and untrue
USACS is here, fully staffed with residency trained board certified physicians and back on the EHR
And the real shame is the 55 docs who walked out on the patients of the community over money.
Enough time has been wasted on the words and the stories.
We will focus on taking care of the patients! They deserve world class healthcare.
Dominic Bagnoli
CEO
US Acute Care Solutions
“And the real shame is the 55 docs who walked out on the patients of the community over money.” It’s never just about money. It’s about working in a great environment with great colleagues, being well-staffed, having a reasonable schedule and being appropriately compensated. USACS will also be staffing a hospital ER (VBMC Harlingen as part of ESP) that our independent democratic group was staffing just 2 years ago and is now a mess. In our case, we are still serving the community at a new hospital, but if USACS or some other corporation takes the contract at some later date we will not assimilate if we are being offered terms that are not commensurate with our value. Why are we expected to take a bad contract in the name of “the community”?
Dr. Bagnoli and others,
I have taken the time to read through the comments that are posted on this site. It is truly appalling what people are saying, simply because they are misinformed and lead astray by the SEA leaders and the news coverage. To respond to those who are questioning Dr. Bagnoli’s ties to Summa, his wife is a professional and did not breach any form of ethics for this contract to happen. This new contract happened because the leaders of SEA could not meet reasonable demands and continue to care for the patient population as a whole in the changing health care world. While it is true that this group has been with Summa for more than 40 years, much of their thinking and negotiation skills also seem to be that old. I have great confidence in Dr. Bagnoli’s USACS team and the transition has been seamless this far. Everything is going well and there has been no impact to the ER department or the community that we serve other than minor (but transient) increase in wait times. The residency program does back Summa’s choice as does the board, even though news outlets are posting otherwise. I would appreciate if people have questions or comments that they are unsure about the factual information that is behind them, that they direct them to me so I can answer you directly. Please do not hesitate to reach me at malonet@summahealth.org or officeofceo@summahealth.org for questions or concerns as Summa is dedicated to the public and this seamless transition with our new partners.
Thank you for your understanding and support in these difficult times.
Dr. Thomas Malone
CEO
Summa Health
Single handedly ruining Summa Health Systems!
Your “seamless transition” is a farce, Mr. Malone. You need to get out of your ivory tower and find out for yourself what is going on in these departments. The lip service you are getting from your Managers and Directors is an attempt to cover up the many problems. Staff is so afraid of retaliation from admin that they are being forced to hide behind false names to protect themselves, yet still allow them to vent their anger and frustrations.
Wake up Malone…before its too late. The first time a patient is harmed because you are not listening to your staff, don’t expect them to show you any loyalty.
You keep you using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
– Inigo Montoya
Is it true that you threatened EM residents with letters of unprofessionalism when they refused to work under USACS? It sounds like these doctors aren’t required to be EM boarded, is that also true? I hardly see how you can say the residency program backs Summa’s choice. And obviously the board agrees, the guy is fucking married to the CMO.
Dr. Malone, it would be helpful for those of us who feel skeptical of the seamlessness of the transition if you could answer some specific questions:
Please explain a vote of no confidence in the context of a statement that the residency (EM residency or the GME administrators?) Backs this decision.
Who is the residency PD at this moment?
Who is going to be the PD in two months?
How many residents are currently working in the ED?
Do the various EMS agencies currently have active medical directors? Who are they? What will happen to planned educational activities?
Have USACS had physicians working longer than conventional shifts? Has every USACS physician been EM boarded?
Did Dr. Bagnoli’s wife recuse herself from the selection/negotiatiom process? Can you define “conflict of interest” for those of us less business minded and describe the exact specific actions taken to avoid such a conflict in this case?
Thank you for your time (if you choose to address these questions in the open)
Tom, wouldn’t you actually have to set foot in the hospital to have any IDEA of what’s actually happening? I used to see your predecessor in the hospital myself walking through the halls at least every couple of weeks. Of course, in that time, the administration of the hospital still existed at the hospital, not a seperate facility miles away. When you finally shut the hospital down will you promise to move on and never come back? The fact that you have the audacity to sign things “Dr.” is insulting to the rest of us.
Yes….no conflict of interest. Dominic gives summa money ->his wife becomes CMO->shes assigned to negotiate the SEA contract ->negotiations “break down”->Dominic’s company suddenly gets the contract. Its a good thing this isnt in court because it sure doesnt seem very defensible….oh wait…..
Hey Tom, I am looking for a Surgeon General and you sound like my man! Seems like you have a great idea with this obvious beneficial conflict of interest. You really know how to use the system in your favor. That is what I am looking for and people that don’t get it aren’t smart like us. Once we can get all doctors owned by investment bankers we will only get richer.
Tom (if this is you),
You are obvious delusional.
There was a vote of no confidence.
Vivian stands to benefit with her husbands large bonus for this contract. This is an obvious kickback amd ethics violation at the least and this is being reported.
As we speak support is gaining with your board from the medical staff to get you and Vivian removed to help save the hospital system.
Good Luck in your next endeavor but I’m assuming getting kicked out of your second hospital will be your undoing. Why did you leave Detroit?
I’m calling BS. This was handled in the worst way! I’m thankful none of the dismissed physicians have taken up with the new group.
No residents support this decision.
No nurses support this decision.
Outside facility staff do not support this decision.
Let me make this clear, you are living in your own world if you think any of what you said is true.
Maybe you should step foot in the actual hospital so you could get on the same page as the rest of the sane world.
Those who have the slightest idea of where summa was before this and where they are now feel you have taken the hospital directly down the dumps. Hopefully you are fired (yet again) before the hospital is toast and the community suffers because of your poor decision making.
I’m a reporter with a national publication. Would love to get you on the record. 404 245 1733
Can you tell me what you mean by “the real shame is the 55 docs who walked out on the patients of the community over money”? If that was the case, couldn’t they be convinced to stay by your 100k signing bonus and elevated hourly rate? If it was all about money, that is. Those two things seem to be diametrically opposed.
Plus, you never really answered Dr McNamara’s questions.
I think people would have more respect for groups like USACS if they simply told the truth about their actions.
“55 doctors walked out”? Who are you kidding? USACS’s contract began at midnight on 1/1/17!! Those docs didn’t walk out. They were no longer employed. They finished all their patient care. Summa’s board made it so they couldn’t stay. Summa did not accept SEA’s fair market contract terms because it did not make any money for the CMO or Mark Terpylak.
And I will add, if these docs are so awful, why did USACS email or call all of them personally to start working for them? Offering $100,000 bonus? And when that didn’t work, USACS started cold calling Mercy and Aultman docs and offering them $1000/hr. Sounds like solid business acumen to me…..
You’re kind of a jerk. With JCAHO and other agencies being notified along with obvious conflict of interests by your wife this will not end well. I predict your wife and Malone will be our and soon your group will also. Karma is you know what.
>Great story. Much of which is misleading and untrue.
Please, Mr. Bagnoli, explain to us in detail which portions of Dr. Nielson’s account are misleading or untrue. Those of us who have “boots on the ground” so to speak should be able to verify your accusations. If you choose not to reply, well, that speaks for itself. We’re waiting…
Oops. My bad. It’s actually DR. Bagnoli. I had assumed from your reputation that you couldn’t have possibly taken the Hippocratic Oath. My sincere apologies. Please, educate us good Doctor.
I’m a reporter with a national publication. Would love to get you on the record. 404 245 1733
I love you! Well said haha
Are all of us talking about the same place? Your nose is growing Dr Pinnochio. Did your mother never wash out your mouth for lying? Wait times skyrocketing, patients leaving , doctors working unsafe hours.
But you are Summa are correct in one statement. The transition is “seamless”. Those seams ripped wide open
I have practiced at Summa when it was Akron City Hospital, and Al Gilbert was President. I have known many of these ED docs for decades, some were interns who rotated in my department. I trust these doctors. They know me. We can communicate efficiently to provide quality care, expedite that care, and ensure proper follow up.
I am appalled at what has happened. What has become of the proper credentialing process? Rushing this process will lead to major liability. I am glad residents are not being forced to work under attendings who are a complete unkown.
If these new docs are not using EHR, how can they get proper histories? How will the primary care docs know what has transpired in the ED?
I have absolutely no faith in Dr. Malone and his regime. My plans for retirement are accelerating and I plan to refer my patients to outside the Summa system.
BTW no one is fooled by your claim that there is no conflict of interest going on between Dr von Gruenigan and this new group. Lawyers and governmental regulating agencies will determine that.
The residents are back. They were threatened with a letter of unprofessionalism on their permanent record if they did not comply. It’s a shame that they are bearing the responsibility of orienting new attendings to the system.
I’m sure the RRC will pull their accreditation since they lost all their core faculty, program director, etc. No way have they replaced those in 2 days.
I’m a reporter with a national publication. Would love to get you on the record. 404 245 1733
Dr. Bagnoli and others,
I have taken the time to read through the comments that are posted on this site. It is truly appalling what people are saying, simply because they are misinformed and lead astray by the SEA leaders and the news coverage. To respond to those who are questioning Dr. Bagnoli’s ties to Summa, his wife is a professional and did not breach any form of ethics for this contract to happen. This new contract happened because the leaders of SEA could not meet reasonable demands and continue to care for the patient population as a whole in the changing health care world. While it is true that SEA has been with Summa for more than 40 years, much of their thinking and negotiation skills also seem to be that old. I have great confidence in Dr. Bagnoli’s USACS team and the transition has been seamless thus far. Everything is going well and there has been no impact to the ER department or the community that we serve other than minor (but transient) increased wait times. The residency program does support Summa’s decisions to move forward with USACS as does the board, even though news outlets are posting otherwise. I would appreciate, that if people have questions or comments that they are unsure about the factual information that is behind them, that they direct them to me so I can personally answer your concern. Please do not hesitate to reach me at malonet@summahealth.org or officeofceo@summahealth.org for questions or concerns as Summa is dedicated to the public, the community, and the seamless transition with our new partners.
Thank you for your understanding and support in these difficult times.
Dr. Thomas Malone
CEO
Summa Health
Dr. Malone,
Unless Dr. von Gruenigan excused herself from the business of voting on her husband’s company, then it is a true ethics violation.
Now let’s talk about the residents that you have put in the middle of this situation. You have forced them to work in a situation that is far from educational. They will return under duress and threats of a letter of “unprofessional” behavior being placed in their files if they don’t. They have written a letter of “non-confidence” to the ACGME. The only part of the ER residency that supports you is the new ER residency director YOU selected and are paying. How much education are they getting from the scab ER doc that has been working a 20 hour shift, on paper orders and doesn’t know the system?
Now let’s move to the EMTs. They are self diverting to other hospital systems. I have seen the letter Dr. Custodio sent to the fire stations. None of them have put any weight behind it because they are on the front lines. They have seen the wait times in your ERs. They have seen the over stressed staff and over worked docs. AND the Barberton ER that HAD NO ATTENDING PHYSICAIN!!!
One of the great things about being a primary care doc is that I hear it all. Your employees come to my office and vent. Of course, I can’t document it all because your ACO wants all their med recs without a HIPPA release. But we will save that for another time.
How long will it take you to get over yourself and admit fault? For now, I will continue to call the Beacon and tell them where to turn.
The Dr that was supposed to be at Barberton was probably still sleeping. He worked at 24 hr shift at Green with zero sleep, was off for 12 hrs and then was to do another 24 hr shift at Barberton. How safe is that? I would not want my family member being taken care of by a Dr who was up for 20 some hours with no sleep
I’m a reporter with a national publication. Would love to get you on the record. 404 245 1733
Dr. Malone,
Have you actually been to the Emergency Department? Do you even know where it is? Maybe you can tell the patient who missed the stroke window, the GI Bleeds who left because of poor care, the countless people in the waiting room about the seamless transition. It is seamless…. the seams burst wide open. Your statement that the residency supports the decision made by you is a blatant lie.
And of course why would anyone think there was conflict of interest???
Dr. Bagnoli donated substantial sums of money to Summa
His wife was named CMO
USACS takes the contract …and contacted Dec 24 when the meeting with SEA was a the 26th
Son of another member of you “inner circle ” Andrei Terpylak is the “chief of staff” of USACS
Legal counsel of USACS is the son of a Board Member
What a tangled web we weave…
You should be ashamed to call yourself Dr.
This is corporate abuse on a level not often seen And the fact that you think the public is so stupid that they cannot see what has happened is insulting
I’m a reporter with a national publication. Would love to get you on the record. 404 245 1733
As a former Summa system board member, I know that the board’s governance committee should have looked at this for any conflicts of interest prior to this arrangement. They are responsible for monitoring possible conflicts on a yearly basis without any undue influence. These COIs look at both the relationships a person and their spouse have that may conflict with the organization. However, one of the questions not asked is whether a conflict exist with anyone in a leadership position at the organization. I believe the committee should at least re-evaluate it from that standpoint. What they may not be aware of is that some involved trained together, socialize together, and may have gone into outside businesses with each other. As a former governance committee member, I believe they should be the one to address once and for all whether any conflicts exist and make a public statement. Summa is a non-profit that’s “shareholders” are the community. A non-profit is at risk of losing its non-profit status if it is being used for the benefit of certain individuals instead of the community.
Thanks for your response re: conflict. What is the right path for well intentioned Summa invested honest physicians to question these conflicts? Quite frankly, Summa seems like a family business at this point.
I enjoyed Dr. Malone’s “factual account” of what happened. Non-fiction is fun however, you never answered any of the questions in the posts above. The nurses are entering orders in the emergency departments, the system has strong armed the residents into indentured servitude and there are physicians practicing at Akron City ER who are not Board Certified in Emergency Medicine, there are Internal Medicine doctors working at the free standing ER’s who are not even credentialed to intubate. Wait times are skyrocketing, LWOT’s are ten fold higher, SUMMA’s reputation is irreparably tarnished in the community, but hey satisfaction scores are good thanks to the abhorrent practice of giving opiates to patients for minor complaints in the era of the opiate epidemic. Keep working those Message boards Dr. Malone, as long as you keep telling the same lies over and over you will believe it at least. Please don’t let your pride cost somebody’s loved one their life in one of SUMMA’s emergency departments. How long can the USACS physicians that have so graciously flown into sunny Akron in January continue to work these hours and the physicians that are borrowed from Lake, how long can they work before they return to their full time jobs. How long will a company ran by a venture capital group continue to spend +$260,000 per day on physician salaries before the plug is pulled because you cannot adequately and safely staff these ER’s? When does that investment become unsound and the plug is pulled. The writing is on the wall Dr. Malone. You can spread your version of the truth but without the Physicians and Extenders from SEA this doesn’t work and you and Dr. Bagnoli are well aware of that. I wish you luck, but why would you need it, you can just terminate or threaten to terminate anyone that doesn’t agree with you. Sincerely- Rebel Alliance Medicine
Dr.Malone,
I think your comments and lack of professionalism is very telling. I’m embarrassed for you. I can’t wait to dump summacare come fall enrollment. I only regret we didn’t know this at enrollment time in 2016. We debated about dumping it, but Akron City and its outstanding ER staff and doctors kept us from doing so. You had better reconsider your approach on this….. you and Dr Bagnoli aren’t helping the situation.
Of course the CEO of the scab staffing group would lie!!! I’ve had run ins with your so called physicians, they are rude, sanctimonious assholes that I wouldn’t bring my DOG to!!!! It’s all about the dollar with you and Summa!!! Thank GOD I don’t have to deal with these idiots!!!
Please stop lying & replying rudely. You’re extremely unprofessional. We have Summacare and had we known this sketchy business was going down would have picked the other insurance provider. Do the summacare enrollees get to “opt” out of our contracts. Oh wait, we are stuck until the next enrollment period.
The community, resident physicians, physicians from other specialties, and other ED docs across the nation stand behind you SEA. As a current resident, I have the utmost respect for these SEA attendings. They have world class compassion to their patients and dedication to resident education. Your patients have nothing but great things to say about you. These guys have poured their hearts out to the community and what Malone/Bagnoli did was shameful, unethical, and immoral. Shame on your careers and how you are able to sleep at night with all of the lives you destroyed for your own selfish profits. Disappointing how you were raised, and one can only hope your children don’t take up your nasty behavior. Stay strong SEA. The community is onto this and it is only a matter of time before this makes national news. It is the unfortunate truth that patients will die as a consequence of Malone’s selfish and thoughtless decisions. I can tell you this, what will be a seamless transition is you two buffoons stepping down as CEO’s, out of Summa facilities, and into the courthouse where you conjure up these fantasies about having everyone support you destroying the lives of others. SEA will be back serving the community in no time. ED residents, don’t ever sign with these CMGs. They are pigs and will ruin you without thinking twice.
I’m a reporter with a national publication. Would love to speak with you on the record. 404 245 1733
So Dr. Bagnoli,
Did you check with your private equity partner before casting dispersions on the 55 doctors who used to work at your wife’s institution? Is this insult part of a strategy to get them to accept the bonus and work for USACS? And tell us are you now there because you and your private equity partner WCAS don’t care about money? When I read the WCAS website it says they are about making a healthy profit for their investors with acquisitions as a key part of their strategy.
Why didn’t USACS say it would be best for the residency and the patients for Summa to work this out with the existing group? Why didn’t you say the doctors who work for SEA are my professional colleagues, fellow members of the ACEP and I believe it is in their best interest that the negotiations continue as it is their livelihoods and their family security that is at stake? Could the answer to those questions be the same dispersion you are casting at the departed docs, that it is all about the money? Just how much more will you make with this contract acquisition? Are we to believe the CEO of USACS does not benefit from this expansion of the company?
No the real shame is that hospital administrators know that they can kick a longstanding group out over money and not quality issues because USACS physicians and others will step in without blinking an eye in regards to the fate of their colleagues. And thanks to your leadership and those like you we as a specialty are in the position where every EM contract is at risk because there exist numerous suitors willing to take it over…….because it is all about the money.
Much of what you said was exactly what was done. Glad to talk to you about it Bob.
Give me a call
His name is Dr. McNamara. How about a little respect? I’ll leave it at that.
When you say they are there “fully staffed”…. you mean at about 40% total without the PAs, NPs, and residents right? Your Green ER doc is pulling a 24…. fully staffed. There were, a few hours ago, 30 waiting to be seen, with an average 3 hour wait time to even say hello to a doctor. What’s the definition of fully staffed again??
Oh and tell us again about fire department Med control? “Word on the street ” is MANY ambulances are self diverting
I can absolutely say with confidence ambulances are diverting their patients away from Summa as much as possible. Why would we subject our patients to such horrible care? One of the new USACS docs told a patient to double up on his high blood pressure medication because he had missed a dose, check his own blood pressure at home and if it was still high, take an additional dose. Even someone with absolutely no medical background or degree would find this advice troubling. As a healthcare professional AND someone with values and ethics, I’d rather drive my patients a little further to a different hospital than put them in the type of neglect and danger they will face by going to Akron City Hospital.
I’m a reporter with a national publication. Would love to speak with you on the record. 404 245 1733
Dr. Bagnoli,
The physicians and the medic that have commented above are not the only people worried about this change. Many of us nurses that work for Summa have worked for your group before when EMP had a contract. Many of the physicians that were employed by the EMP group were unprofessional and disrespectful to the staff and nothing was ever done about it. Without calling out specific physicians as that is unprofessional, there were many times that they would swear at the nursing staff, kick trash cans, and even toss chairs in their office. These instances were brought to the attention of EMP leaders but nothing ever came of it. The other issue we had was your group’s generous use of narcotics, antibiotics, and radiology services achieve higher satisfaction scores. Pleasing patients all the time is not good medicine, it is not good for the patients, and not good for the hospital as a whole. We (as nurses) hope that your group has changed its ideals and practices since we last had the displeasure of working with EMP before your group lost the Summa contract last time.
– ER Nursing
This nurse gets it. A true professional.
Physicians are consultants, not service employees. Patients are there for the physician’s opinion, which may or may not synchronize with their expectations.
Playing the “patient satisfaction” game is a short-sighted approach that sacrifices the quality of care provided for short term profits.
It also drives up unnecessary costs for the patient, as well. It is all about appropriate and quality care, right? Tell me that patent care comes first. Please. I’ve been a Summa patient for many years and have always boasted about the quality care I have received and come to expect. I’m seriously considering jumping ship and swimming over to Akron General. This is too scary, and my medical care is way too important to have to worry if my healthcare providers are going to do the right thing when it counts.
I’m a reporter. Would love to speak with you on the record. 404 245 1733
Dr. Bagnoli,
I have to say, I’m impressed. Lack of compassion and anything remotely approaching care for and of the wellbeing of other human beings seemed to be a speciality of Vivian, but it’s nice to see her spouse shares something more with her other than a well-developed love of money and a slavish desire for self-promotion no matter how many careers one has to step over.
I have to ask though – your first comment – were you able to write that whole self-serving chunk of crap with a straight face?
One last point of order than I’m done: To say that the 55 doctors of SEA walked out of the ER and out of community over money, if that’s the case, why won’t ANY of them cross the line and accept your huge bonuses to come work for you? Even after your group offered to pay any legal fees they may incur?. I’ll answer that for you: Because they are family. Not only to each other, to the ER, but to the community. They have spent 40 years building Summa ER and Summa EMS into a regional beacon for patients everywhere. Before yesterday, squads would BYPASS general to get to city, because they knew the SEA docs were the best. Why are there “Urgent Needs For ER docs” posted around the internet, offering 100k sign on bonuses, and 1000 per hour? Because, you sir, with all due respect, are not even HALF WAY staffed, let alone fully
Dr. Bagnoli,
Sir, I believe you are missing the point. The cause of concern is not just “over money”. The changing of physician groups does not only
affect the patient care aspect. There are entire departments left wondering if they will even have a job in the coming days. Research, disaster preparedness, EMS, the residency. Summa went and upset the apple cart over “money” with no regard to these people who aren’t lucky enough to be offered $1000 bonuses to stay around. Summa again and again makes descions based on a financial need over the good of the people. All the while those who continue to make large amounts of money (including your wife) never worry about that kind of decision affecting them. I’m sorry, it’s nothing personal against you or the group you represent, but this decision will have reprocussions for DECADES. I hope you are prepared for that.
Haha Dr. Bagnoli- your response is the biggest joke I have ever read. Those doctors cared about their patients more than any group of physicians I have EVER worked with. They deserve to make money too. As you should know, letting corporate America run your EMP group… putting money in between patient care and yourselves.
Perhaps Dominic should spend less time commenting on this and more time getting his ass to the EDs his company is supposedly now staffing to help with this “seamless transition”. Patients waiting hours to be seen and staffing levels less than 50% of normal is not seamless. Hopefully no one will have an adverse outcome due to Summa and USACS’s negligent care.
Perfect! Lol
Dominic hasn’t worked a clinical shift in years! He’s an administrator, not a physician.
I came to Summa for years as a patient. I am covered by SummaCare. With all this going on, I won’t step foot into a Summa ER. I’ll go to General or drive an hour to Cleveland Clinic. At least I can trust the physicians there.
You don’t need to drive to Cleveland. Akron General is Cleveland Clinic.
I feel bad for the residents and attendings. Summa certainly did a disservice to patients, their physicians, and their residents.
This will have a negative impact on resident recruitment in all specialties for many years to come.
The repercussions for Summa’s actions are immense and will only worsen in the coming months.
Dr. Bagnoli,
Do not listen to these mere mortals. The work you are doing here is profound and will expedite your eventual arrival here in Hell. I look forward to meeting you in person.
Yours truly,
Satan, Lord of Darkness
I look forward to meeting you as well! But in the mean time, my wife (who happens to be the hospital CMO) and I are super excited about spending all of the M-O-N-E-Y we just made off of this deal!! Can’t take it with you after all.
Isn’t that the very definition of collusion, but hey, it’s not about money, power or prestige, now is it?
The commenter you replied to is not the actual Dominic Bagnoli
Dr. Bagnoli, I gave a bit more thought to your classless and snide response. I hope that the Summa board reads this and has enough sense to fire your CMO wife, cancel your contract and reverse course as you are proving to be an embarrassment and an imp to the medical community; a true professional would not only be able to look past this discussion, but, would also have enough common sense and business sense to know that, engaging as you have, essentially proves the point of your detractors.
Dr. Bangoli, your remarks show what a true “professional” you are. This entire groups is a disgrace and couldn’t shine our doctors shoes. I hope this wrong is righted before we start losing lives.
Bagnoli,You are behaving the way Donald Trump behaves on Twitter. He is a malignant narcissist, are you also? Get a hold of yourself and act like the executive that you are. You are embarrassing yourselfand your employees. People in the community are reading this and forming and opinion of you. You are allowing the patients that you claim to care about to see who you really are.
BEST EVER.
Ex #2, me too! I thankfully was able to retire by choice. But, many of my colleagues were walked out with no advance notice. It broke my heart….many were so close to retirement. I was one of the few lucky ones. Under Malone, things went from bad to worse. So glad to be gone from Summa!
Ex #2, me too! I thankfully was able to retire by choice. But, many of my colleagues were walked out with no advance notice. It broke my heart….many were so close to retirement. I was one of the few lucky ones. Under Malone, things went from bad to worse. So glad to be gone from Summa! And so glad to no longer have to rely on Summa for my health care.
Ah yes, the progression of syphilis can be quite devastating. I see you already suffer from megalomania. “I do not see why man should not be as cruel as nature.” -Dominic Bagnoli. No wait, sorry. That was Hitler too
To think any of these decisions were made in the best interest of the patient, is insane. If Summa had thoughts of using another group to staff their ERs, the selection process should’ve started months ago to give time for this “seamless” transition. The thought that Summa’s board only had time to meet with SEA on 12/26, 2 days after meeting with USACS, leads one to believe that SEA never stood a chance. Much less that Dr. Bagnoli’s wife sits on Summa’s board and Dr. Terpylak, who runs Summa’s ACO New Health Collaborative, also stand to profit from the deal, only adds to the speculation. Let’s add to the mix that the last time SEA bid against USACS, they got the contract, but with a different bunch sitting at Summa’s board.
Has anyone mentioned that one of Summa’s ERs has actually gone without a physician for a few hours since this take over?
Has anyone mentioned that this is happening when Summa’s ER residency is interviewing students for the match, which is next month!! SEA has run a top residency for DECADES! How well do you think those interviews will go now? When a program keeps great students for their residency, they make great residents. Great residents make great attendings. See where I’m going with this?
Patient care was not your first priority when you signed a new contract this close to the old one expiring, money was. The nurses know it. The staff knows it. The fire chiefs know it. The residents know.
The truly sad part is that these are physicians making these decisions. You took an oath to do what was best for the patient, not your pocket.
Now, do the ignorant thing and stand behind your decision until the patient suffers.
My comment is not only aimed at Mr. Bagnoli, or even at Summa, it is also directed at the public who daily use the Summa ER’s.
I too have worked with EMP when they previously were employed by Summa. I have seen the local Fire Departments who refuse to have anything to do with them because of their incredibly poor track record with EMS. Fire Departments pay large sums of money to Summa as a fee for service to provide their pre-hospital EMT’s and Paramedics with QUALITY Medical Direction and continuing medical education. Since they are no longer going to get this, will you be reimbursing these departments?
Thankfully, most EMS crews encouraged their patients to go to other facilities over the past few days. The Summa ER census has been down, and I cannot imagine how things would have been if we had been as full as we normally are.
I have been witness, over the past few days, to amazing Nurses and Paramedics working under incredibly difficult circumstances. Right now, they are struggling to provide the kind of quality emergency care that was almost effortless done in the past. It is a recipe for disaster.
The Nurses are constantly fielding complaints from angry patients and families over the delays in care. I have seen nurses crying in the hallways and locker rooms, terrified because they worked so hard to obtain their Nursing licensure, and now feel that at any moment they could lose it because of the decision of a few money hungry people in administration.
The USACS Physicians, have been professional and courteous, but they are quite simply in over their heads when it comes to staffing these emergency departments. They are not equipped to handle the number and type of emergencies that are daily a part of Summa Health. Yes, they are ‘Board Certified’ but how many of them have seen 250-300+ patients a day? They are working 12-24 hour shifts to try and provide coverage. They are exhausted, and exhausted people make mistakes.
Nurses are putting in ‘protocol orders’ because patients are waiting hours without being seen. Because ordering medications is outside the Nursing Scope of Practice, the Nurses cannot do protocol orders for medications; therefore, while these patients had their blood work, X-rays, EKG’s, and at times Cat scans, performed, often they never even saw a physician until all their labs were back. This means that pain medications, nausea medications, antibiotics, etc. are not being ordered until long after the patient arrives, and sometimes just before discharge.
This ‘transition’ has not been smooth or flawless, as Summa’s media relations and administration would like everyone to believe. Most (if not all) of the ER staff would gladly walk out at this point. If not for the patients who rely on them day after day for emergency care, and families that rely on their income to provide for their daily needs, I have no doubt that this Emergency Department would be a ghost town.
I am a 68 year old patient and do deserve first class care Dr Bagnoli and have received it at Green ED several times in the past. Is “fully staffed” one tired doctor who has been there for 20 hours? That is not ideal. We are fortunate to have several choices in medical care in this area. The ED is a scary place where people’s lives are impacted. This fiasco you have contributed to makes me want to switch to Akron General where they currently have their stuff together. Your snarky responses are unnecessary and don’t foster feelings of confidence.
Let’s not forget that Summa has the only IN PATIENT DETOX Unit in the County and a LARGE PSYCHIATRIC PATIENT CASELOAD. These patients have traditionally not been treated well in Emergency Rooms around the country. Summa’s ER Physicians have worked hard to create an environment in the ER that made it safe for Behavioral Health patients to be treated with respect and caring. Given that we are facing the worst Opiate epidemic in history, how can a group of physicians new to Summa’s ERs and behavioral health patient population (who tend to be repeaters due to their illnesses) treat them with the care and compassion they deserve? As a retired nurse from Summa, I fear for those patients.
I owe everything I know in EM due to these passionate SEA docs. SUMMA and USACS responses to this are laughable. Seamless? How can you honestly say this. Medical education has been disrupted. Not only for the EM residency, but for all residents in the hospital that rotate through the ED. I understand that this group staffs some residencies, but there was obviously little or no planning with this transition. The response the board had to the residents’ concern says it all, they said the concern of all the residents carries little weight. I feel for all the employees at the hospital as it was a great place to train, and feel lucky to have trained there before this unscrupulous board took over. All of the former residents I worked with have received offers to work for USACS at SUMMA now, none have accepted, so it is not all about the money at all, because it would be very easy for us doctors that are familiar with the system to seamlessly integrate ourselves for some locums cash, but we want nothing to do with this takeover.
What a farce of a process this was. As a former resident who is/was very proud of his training, I am absolutely embarrassed by this. Sadly, the patients and residents will suffer the most. The docs will survive but to be completely uprooted after decades of a very solid, stable, relationship…only to be thrown out with a few days notice, when it takes months to get credentialed at another hospital?
And how incredulous that a CEO would engage in such ridiculous, classless banter with those affected. What a complete lack of class and tact. These are not the words nor actions of a leader; rather the actions of a narcissistic egomaniac. I hope the ungodly rates you are throwing around to UNDERstaff these ERs and offer lower levels of emergency care bankrupt your staffing company. I also hope that proper oversight occurs to investigate the complete and blatant conflict of interest that exists with your wife involved and the financial transactions that have occurred.
Shame on the board. Shame on Summas CEO. Shame on Nero…I mean, Bagnoli. SEA docs run circles around your sham company.
Signed,
Every SEA resident ever
I can’t even wrap my head around the questionable ethics of a Member of the Board handling the contract negotiations and hiring of a company who’s CEO is their spouse……when do the accrediting organizations like JACHO begin looking into such blatant crossing of ethical boundaries?
I spent many years as a Summa employee, on both sides of clinician training. I have worked at two larger competitors in the area, and still sung the praises of Summa. The care, the safety culture, the expertise. I still send my family members to Summa for their care also. Unfortunately, the egregious actions of the last week have made that all change.
The actions of Summa over the last week are deceptive, indefensible, and divisive. There have been decisions over the last few years that were shocking, but compromising patient care, destroying an exceptional ED service line, and risking a reputable residency program casts doubt over the capabilities, ethics, and acumen of this current administration. The current administration has very clearly demonstrated that safe, expert patient care is not top of mind.
I hope that Summa can recover from this reprehensible decision and pathetic execution of a “seamless transition.” But the damage to patient care, the community, the nursing staff, and other clinical support staff is tremendous and in many ways permanent.
It has been disheartening and maddening to watch the destruction of a beacon health system that many of us have poured our hearts, sweat, and tears into. Nobody deserved this. Especially not the patients, physicians, or nurses. I know many of the staff are still trying to hold on and care for patients as best as they can with what they have. And to them, I have deep respect and appreciation. I hope Summa can re-learn employee retention and appreciation, and not lose the talent that they still have.
This article encompasses more than the dismantlement of a relationship between a trusted emergency department and an outstanding group of emergency medicine physicians . Its loss puts the immediate and future health of our community in jeopardy . The effect will be noticed for years, given potential damage to an outstanding residency program .
As physicians , we must always behave above any questions of injustice . It is also our responsibility to question physicians who do not share these same values . The residents have shown this ideal . Their vote of no confidence shows an understanding and courage far greater than their years of experience . I hope that the physician members of the board would do the same . However, their question should not stop with Dr. Malone . They should question others whose behaviors raise the concern of nepotism or financial gain .
Fellow physicians, we made our bed and now we get to sleep in it. When we forgot our oaths and outsourced management of our profession to the suits, we paved the way for Bagnoli and his ilk.
As a consultant to the independent physician community I couldn’t agree more. I started as “a suit” working with hospitals. I quickly learned that the ability to change quality and improve care lies with the physician community not hospital administration.
Unfortunately too many of these deals are done based on ego, power grabs, board pride and sometimes financial gain. Generally the boards go with the CEO recommendation as most are too busy with their own businesses to learn the impact that their decisions will have on the community. Most often, their education comes from trainers selected by the hospital execs themselves.
It is extremely difficult for physicians to resist the siren of wall street and large hospital dollars but the future of our healthcare system and the quality of care of the patients depends on it. We must work together to keep physicians independent and the profession free from corporate dominance like these situations.
Someone should start an online petition to have these people fired and for the Justice Department to investigate this deal.
That is an excellent idea.
And the Joint Commission. Will the residency program lose its accreditation? I can’t imagine any resident applicant agreeing to come to Summa next year. If Summa loses their residency manpower, that will further impact staffing. I use to have such respect for Dr. Von Gruenigan. What a disgrace.
$1000 an hour to staff this, and the most seasoned nurses in the hospital get a 32 cent raise. GO SUMMA.
Yes where is our hazard pay to deal with this mess
We have Summa, have had exceptional care in ER @ City. I’m uncomfortable with this situation and will not go to Summa ERs. The way this went down is sketchy and the truth needs to be told. No planned transition and dumping a 40 year relationship with outstanding ER physicians and PAs makes Summa, their “leadership, and the new group untrustworthy and puts every patient in jeopardy.
Dr.Bagnoli, your responses here are flippant and unprofessional. I wish we had this information before we chose our health insurance provider last year.
To the comment about nurses getting a .32 cent raise was spot on nobody cares about them or seemed to care how this “seamless transition” would effect the nurses. The ones who more than likely first kind of defense when it comes to patient care ones who hear everyone screaming that it’s taking forever to be seen. I mean paper charting is a seamless transition then by all means feel free to upgrade to a system in the 21st century. I forsee Summa losing many more good employees as a result of this and General or the Clinic gaining more knowledgeable nurses and ER staff that will allow them to surpass every hospital in the area on patient care so good luck Summa way to line your pockets over this nepotism deal and hopefully you still have Internet access so Summa nurses can apply online akrongeneral.org
Not to mention the loss of SummaCare clients. Had I known this was going to happen, I would never have renewed my SummaCare plan, opting instead for Medical Mutual and access to General and the Clinic. I decided to give Summa one more year but now I wish I had trusted my gut. With the almost 100% turnover in the Executive Suite, and listening to friends who are still employed there, the entire place has gone downhill – no more “servant leadership” or true patient centered care – just the almighty dollar ruling….maybe it’s time for the Nurses to UNIONIZE! I can’t believe the Medical Staff Organization hasn’t questioned this obvious Conflict of Interest between the Chief Medical Officer and the CEO of the new ER group – can’t get any more conflict unless they were sleeping together – oh wait!!! They are sleeping together – they’re married to each other!
I couldn’t be more appalled by this lack of concern for dedicated Dr’s, who demonstrated the utmost care for the general population entering Summa. I worked 4 yrs as an E.R. nurse in Summa, and watched this organization kick many disciplines to the curb, without hesitation! These Dr’s were “seasoned”, and would have trusted them with my life. Another door will open for all of these fine Dr’s, and the door will open, here at Akron General, to service your Summa population that will never return. R.N.
I just can’t believe the CEO is dumb enough to have responded at the start of this thread. But since that means he’s probably still lurking…are you informing all the medical students who’ve interviewed that you shitcanned the residency PD and all the core faculty?
This comment is for Mr. Malone,
as an RN who left Summa more than a decade ago, it was because of tactics like these. You and your predecessor couldn’t shine Al Gilbert’s shoes. I will never ever forget how he stood at the door by security and thanked us for getting to work in a horrendous snow storm… Sadly those days are gone. Uncle Al Summa needs you now.
Sounds like a mess!!! Who else could go for a late night waffel?
The ACGME’s Residency Review Committee is going to have a field day with this place. One would think the emergency medicine residency accreditation is in jeopardy. No program director, no core faculty? Did the CEO of SummaHealth not think this through? You can’t replace a group in only 2-4 days in a place with a residency program.
The emergency medicine residency program may be placed on probation or have accreditation revoked and the residents will be without a residency. SummaHealth will then be sued by the residents that lost their residency program. Former docs may have reason to sue for no due process which is given to every other specialty except emergency medicine.
Heads may soon roll at SummaHealth. My thoughts are coming from an independent perspective from a physician in another specialty who has experience with a local ER group that was ousted for a national staffing company. The quality of care went down drastically, and it was only with a great deal of protest from medical staff that we were able to get the previous group reinstated. Physicians at SummaHealth in other specialties should demand that previous physicians be reinstated. I, along with many of my colleagues that take call, rely on high-quality emergency physicians to manage patients without needing consultations from us for every simple case. I remember getting consulted to do lumbar punctures because the “temporary” docs were family practice and internal medicine trained and had no experience with lumbar punctures. Cardiologists were texted EKG’s throughout the night because the staffing-company’s “ER docs” weren’t board-certified and couldn’t read EKG’s.
Stand firm and be strong. You will see resolution if you band together. I like the idea of an online petition. I would gladly sign it. I have a great deal of respect for emergency physicians, and I think your situation is unique because most hospitals do not honor due process for emergency physicians like they do for non-contracted/non-employed physicians in other specialties.
Well said, Thank you!!!!
I feel bad for the residents. I started my EM residency with an EMP based team and finished with one that was not. Couldn’t pay me 1000/hr to work at any facility they staff!!
Once that door slammed, WHY would any Dr. return because of a petition? Don’t look back.
While Malone and Bologna make moves from their Ivory Towers, we as community healthcare providers have the ability to start a movement. Don’t just sit back and complain. Do something about it! Together we can do something great while these fools try make a profit off the backs of hard working middle-class professionals.
Contact the Joint Commission right now, it takes less than ten minutes to send them an email. They need to know about these non-board certified locum tenems (some are not even credentialed in OH) working 24+hr shifts and ER wait times exceeding 3 hours. Call your State and District Representatives. The phone call will take you less than ten minutes of your time. These people need to be called out for their poor decisions and lack of respect for their employees and the community they “serve”.
Contact House Representatives Emilia Strong Sykes at (614) 466-3100 or Greta Johnson at (614) 644-6037. These women represent the district Summa is located in.
Additionally, an online/social media campaign can be extremely effective. Share this blog with friends and co-workers. Get the word out. WE will not be silenced. WE will not go down easy. Malone and Bologna you made a big mistake and I only hope the community doesn’t have to pay for it.
Donald Trump…Akron needs you to make Emergency Medicine great again!!
Not sure if that is meant to be tongue in cheek. If so, it’s hilarious. If meant to be serious, that is just ignorant. Trump is no different than the corporate power-grabbers who started this.
As a Summa sub specialist physician I am very concerned for my patients, the Akron community, the Summa residents and the expelled SEA staff. I trained at Summa and over the past 15 years have gained great respect for the ED staff that serviced the Summa ED’s for the past 40 years. My heart goes out to the current residents in all programs, the ED nursing and ancillary staff and the group of dedicated ED physicians that have been mistreated by the current Summa administration. There are many unhappy physicians in the Summa system and it is now time to stand up and be heard. I want to thank the SEA group for standing strong and not taking the outlandish sign-on bonuses offered by Bagnoli’s recruiters. It is so unfortunate that the SEA group has not been given the opportunity to continue to provide expert care any longer. The conflict of interest amongst the administration is shocking! My patients will be directed to Western Reserve Hospital ED starting tomorrow. I pray that no harm comes to the general public that used to have trust in Summa.
When doctors refuse to work for CMGs then CMGs will no longer exist. The problem is they have gotten so big that there are many areas of the country where you cannot work as an EP without working for a CMG. Bad for patients, bad for doctors.
Dr. Nielson-
Thanks for sharing your story so publicly and I’m sorry you’ve gotten caught up in something that has unfortunately happened to thousands of docs and hundreds of groups as corporate medicine has taken hold in our country.
Dr. Bagnoli-
Nobody believes you because we’ve seen this movie so many times before. The few of us still in small democratic groups have to be constantly looking over our shoulders these days for kitchen-schedulers like you buddying up to our hospital administrators. You should be ashamed of the actions of yourself and your wife.
How could I almost forget to mention the so called “fully staffed” ER, which made a patient, having a heart attack, to wait 2 hours before being seen by a doctor. Please define “fully staffed.”
Tell these things to he news outlets! They public needs to know if the summa er’s have become dangerous like that! Call channel 3 news. Call the Akron beacon journal! Take action! If you know first hand accounts of these things happening, we need you to speak out!
Wow, just wow. There’s no amount of money that would EVER get me to work for this group. Thanks for the enlightening read gruntdoc. Maybe its because I’m a new attending and idealistic but I do think that EP’s have a lot more power than we realize. Take a stand and don’t work for groups who deal in these kind of unscrupulous endeavors and they eventually won’t exist anymore. 1000/hr is tempting. But its not worth my soul.
Dr. Bagnoli. You define the worst of our profession. Enjoy your bonus!
As the ER staff still works, unmentioned, unsatisfied, and underpaid, I urge anyone in this thread to see how it will spiral downhill. The nurses are still 90% of the time the faces of the company and lifeline to the physicians. This is a crisis period for pay and staffing needs. The SEA physicians are cared for and missed, but no one is preparing for the catastrophic mass exodus of nurses that is already embarking. Their voice of concerns was not seamless, careers and lives not shaken, but truly expecting to do “nursing protocols” is doing the physicians’ work without a tip jar at the end of the night. Physicians are physicians to place the orders, yet nursing protocols are a quick snapshot of what the nurses can do when the patient is crucial enough with wait time for health concerns. As a nurse, strongly consider your voice being heard and not strung out with pizza parties along the transition. A seamless transition can only happen if nurses only show up. Imagine an entire day of all nursing call offs? Imagine 100k sign on bonuses and 1000k/hr pay increases as a nurse through this seamless transition? It’s ok, we, us nurses will continue wiping butts for .30 raises, 40% taxed, and malpractice lawsuits costs years from now.
Too bad this happened. This has a trickle down effect. People not going to your er means less patients, means less work,,means layoffs. As always the little people gets hurt.
Why didn’t the Summa docs just sign with the new group? Then they could keep working there and taking care of the patients they are so committed to? Sounds like they would even be making more money!
You must be firmly embedded in corporate medicine, used to being controlled by the suits?
I suspect it’s beyond money at this point. These are folks who have dedicated time and effort into a program and were (at least by my perception) insulted and were treated in poor faith.
Regardless of the money, I couldn’t sign on with people who were so flippant about ethics in business dealings, and in basic decency.
This is a problem of mathematics. SEA staffed the 5 Summa ED’s with 19 attending shifts per day. They couldn’t do it with any less. This says nothing about extender (NP and PA) or resident coverage. USACS will try to staff these 5 departments with 10-14 attending shifts per day. Trust me, this will not work. USACS does not have the personnel to pull this off. It is a blatant lie to think otherwise. Seamless transition? If you have 4 attendings at Akron City Hospital in a 24 hour period, and it is a 300 patient day, that means each attending has to manage 75 patients in a shift. NO ONE CAN DO THAT, even if every patient is seen by a resident, NP or PA. SEA staffed ACH with 8 attendings per day, and it was still very difficult. Barberton and Green are also very busy, and it is doubtful USACS will be willing or able to devote the necessary attending EP coverage. No. The seamless transition depended on USACS being able to subjugate the SEA attendings and extenders into their workforce. The seamless transition depended on the core faculty of the residency remaining intact. The seamless transition depended on preserving the relationships with EMS, nurtured over a 40 year period. The acquisition model of the contract management group depends on absorbing the physicians whose contracts they steal. Well, SEA has other options. Dr. Bagnoli accuses 55 physicians of walking away from the community they serve over money. What he should have said is that 55 physicians refused to be exploited by USACS. Dr. Malone, the mathematics of your decision just doesn’t add up. THIS IS NOT A SEAMLESS TRANSITION!
I’m a reporter. Would love to speak with you on the record. 404 245 1733
I have SummaCare and should the need arrive to be seen at an ER, I will go to the Clinic.
A family member of mine use to work in Summa’s ER and I’m glad she doesn’t anymore.
I feel so bad for the hard working staff and dedicated doctors that lost their jobs to greedy and selfish monsters. I stand with you and will not give business to any Summa ER department. Plus I wouldn’t feel safe!
The SEA doctors and their supporters should organize a rally around the hospitals. A peaceful march around the hospitals that they used to be employed at with signs advising patients of the long wait times, new doctors, etc. If they have as much support as it appears they do this would be very influential and get a lot of press towards their cause.
Maybe it’s time for some truth. Summa, could you tell us how many board certified emergency physicians worked in your 5 EDs on Jan. 1? On Jan 2? How many are working today? How many patients left without being seen? What is the average wait time? We’d like to know whether it’s safe to refer patients there.
28 left last night from triage without being seen and that doesn’t even account for patients who left from the back of the ER
The thing people are forgetting is that Tom is arrogant enough to think this is all just going to go away. He’s done it to several other groups in the hospital, GI, Rheumatology, Critical Care docs and of course none of that made a blip on the radar. Hell, not only is the ER staff entirely new in the next few days they’ll have half as many docs taking care of the sickest patients in the ICU. Completely new ED docs + half as many to take care of the most critical patients….yeah that does sound seamless
Agree with your irony. How can this travesty just go away? 175,000 patient-visits per year just won’t disappear. 35 full time board-certified emergency physicians won’t just materialize from the ether overnight. That is the minimum that USACS needs right now. Dr. Malone gambled that SEA would submit to USACS. NEVER! This abomination will never go away. It has the potential to consume Summa. Shocking lack of judgement.
Despicable USACS. You have already made this right in your own minds, but accusing the EM physicians for walking away over money? Those of us reading this article are not stupid. Does your company not exist to make a profit for shareholders? What a ludicrous attempt to misdirect blame.
How do you sleep at night, Dr.?
Docs Malone and Bagnoli,
I must thank you for making me no longer the most corrupt official in Northeast Ohio. My Cleveland Democratic Party Scandal pales in comparison to the twisted web of lies and deceit you threw on the people of Akron. And when the malpractice suits arise form sub-standard care I am sure any attorney worth his salt will name both of you as an accomplice.
At any rate the Federal Prison here isn’t all that bad.
I’ll leave the light on for ya!!
You’re absolutely correct. We need the press to hear these things, not just having it on a small blog!
AAEM is in it for the independent EM physician/their patients and they have successfully fought for them and WON in other states, also fought to prevent situations like this from happening at all!! They fight for due process for EM!! Don’t necessarily expect the same from ACEP, where board members and CEOs of CMGs like Acute Care Solutions are known to hold high ranking positions.
Get involved with American Academy of Emergency Physicians.