A new policy at Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West, both in Boynton Beach, Fla., is asking on-call orthopedic surgeons to see emergency patients, including those who may be out of the surgeons' scope of expertise, bocanewsnow.com reported Jan. 3.
Sources told the news outlet the new policy asks orthopedic surgeons to perform emergency hand surgeries even if they don't have formal training in the area, the report said. Some orthopedic surgeons told bocanewsnow.com they were concerned about potential patient safety risks under the policy.
"We're not talking about splinting a broken finger," a surgeon who asked to speak anonymously to bocanewsnow.com said. "We're talking about serious injuries where improper surgery could lead to critical issues like compartment syndrome."
Another surgeon told the publication, "Only hand surgeons should be performing these surgeries. There are major complications that can lead to permanent, irreversible damage."
A spokesperson for Coral Gables, Fla.-based Baptist Health, which owns the hospitals, said in a statement to Becker's that physicians on staff "are equipped with the capability and training to evaluate and diagnose hand cases and refer patients to a hand specialist as needed."
Before the new policy was implemented, only hand specialists were assigned to address emergency hand cases.
The health system said surgeons wouldn't have to work beyond their scope under the new policy.
"We want to emphasize that we would never request any surgeon to provide a service beyond their expertise, training or the approved delineation of privileges of our medical staff," Baptist Health said. "Our commitment to the health and well-being of our patients remains unwavering."