Doctors, VBMC reach agreement
ER group to extend services with hospital for five years
HARLINGEN — A group of 16 emergency room doctors who had submitted a notice of resignation to Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen earlier this month reached an agreement Thursday to extend their services with the hospital for five years, Valley Baptist officials and a group spokeswoman said.
“I think that the fact that we were able to reach this agreement confirms that the lines of communication are open and that we are looking forward to a new emphasis on a cooperative and collegial style of management,” said Dr. Julia Nathan, director of operations for Valley Emergency Physicians, LLP.
Nathan confirmed that Valley Emergency Physicians had reached an agreement with Valley Baptist Health System and signed a letter of agreement.
The agreement will be effective immediately and has renewal options, according to a news release from Valley Baptist Health System.
“We are exceedingly pleased to have arrived at an agreement that meets the mutual goals of both Valley Baptist and Valley Emergency Physicians,” James G. Springfield, president and CEO of Valley Baptist Health System, said in the news release.
Valley Emergency Physicians, LLP, submitted a memorandum of resignation to Valley Baptist Health System Sept. 10 saying the hospital administration’s focus on “metric results” could compromise patient care and reduce doctors’ income.
The resignation was to have been effective in December.
“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement between Valley Emergency Physicians and Valley Baptist Health System that emphasizes our mutual goal of outstanding patient care and commitment to addressing the concerns of our physicians, our nurses and our administration,” Nathan said in the news release.
Nathan said the agreement reemphasizes the importance of the mission of Valley Baptist as a community hospital and of a “commitment to high quality patient care” and the “high value of our non-physician staff.”
The mutual goals of both groups regarding outstanding state-of-the-art medical care in a positive, efficient environment were reached in the agreement, Nathan said.
“We are deeply grateful to the support of the community both of our medical staff and of the community of Harlingen and we look forward to being here to care for the community,” Nathan said.
