Conway (Ark.) Regional Medical Center threated to sue Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway for its contract with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, according to Kark.com.
Here are five details:
1. Conway Regional Medical Center claims the contract between UAMS and Conway Baptist is unfair. UAMS and Conway Baptist partnered in 2016 to support emergency room and orthopedic services.
2. Chief Development Officer at Conway Regional Medical Center Lori Ross told Kark.com, "UAMS is giving an unfair advantage to Baptist Conway. Are they really meeting a community need or are they meeting a business need?
3. Conway Regional Medical Center alleges Conway Baptist and UAMS are using the contract to meet business needs. Conway Regional Medical Center employed eight orthopedic surgeons when Conway Baptist brought on another five orthopedic surgeons.
4. UAMS has 165 contracts with providers, including one with Conway Baptist and one with Conway Regional Medical Center. However, the Conway Regional Medical Center contract only stipulates a continuing education agreement.
5. Conway Regional Medical Center claims the Conway Baptist contract is biased because UAMS supplies physicians to its rival. "We lose money on every single one of those residents and medical studies that we train who go on to practice at Conway Regional," said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, MD.