Salina (Kan.) Regional Health Center terminated privileges for the surgeons of Orthopaedic Sports Clinic of Salina after refusing to pay on-call fees the group demanded, according to a KSAL report.
The Orthopaedic Sports Clinic of Salina ended its affiliation with Salina Regional Hospital this weekend when the two were unable to reach an agreement over on-call coverage. Here are five things to know:
1. Salina Regional's policy is any physician with privileges at the hospital must provide on-call services, which OSHC physicians did in the past. However, in February OSHC physicians asked for $1,800-per-day fees for on-call days or $500,000 annually.
2. The hospital was unwilling to pay the on-call fees. As a result, OSHC notified the hospital on April 22 its physicians would resign medical staff privileges on April 30.
3. Salina Regional maintained paying the on-call fees would be "unaffordable" and is unusual for communities its size. VMG Health's on-call survey shows orthopedic surgery 24-hour on-call coverage rates ranged from $800 to $1,100 per day from 2006 to 2009.
4. Two orthopedic surgeons were hired onto the hospital's team to provide orthopedic care and on-call services at Salina Regional since OSHC left. Both orthopedic surgeons were hired full-time.
5. Orthopaedic Sports Health Clinic of Salina includes six satellite clinics and four physicians.