On Wednesday, it was announced a credentialing committee at Newman Regional Health had recommended an agreement with Flint Hills Community Health Center and Dr. Amanda Ruxton for delivering babies should not go forward because there was no component involved about adult care. On Thursday, Newman Regional CEO Bob Wright told KVOE News this has been a discussion point between the medical facilities for over a year.
{wbty_audio audio_id=”13917″ audio_title=”Wright: Pretty clear-cut decision for us”}
Wright says adult care is a “core privilege” for family medicine, with obstretics, pediatrics and neonatal care all as secondary privileges. He also says the planned Health Center use of a third-party physician group to provide adult care is really a separate issue. He says Ruxton, as a solo practitioner, would have to demonstrate the capacity for patient coverage when she can’t be on hand. Wright also says the Health Center meets the requirement for call coverage but the request does not address adult care as specified.
Health Center Director Phillip Davis told KVOE News the Health Center’s plans for baby delivery took a step forward after the US Department of Health and Human Services granted the Health Center $276,000 to expand services.
In a news release, Davis said he “would have liked to have seen this group of physicians put the health of this community first.” Wright took exception to that comment, saying he sees the work doctors and staff do at Newman Regional Health and there is no question in his mind community needs are their top priority. Wright said he hoped both facilities can work past this issue and continue to work together for the betterment of the community.
5 pm Wednesday: FHCHC plan to add baby delivery services at Newman Regional Health on hold
The Flint Hills Community Health Center’s plan to add certain services offsite has hit a snag.
A committee from Newman Regional Health recommended the hospital Board of Trustees reject an application for Health Center Dr. Amanda Ruxton to have privileges to provide care at the hospital. Ruxton and the Health Center wanted privileges to deliver babies and visit health center patients. Health Center Director Phillip Davis says the committee rejected the request because it did not include care for adults.
Davis says the request came from a $276,000 grant from Health and Human Services.
{wbty_audio audio_id=”13909″ audio_title=”Davis: What we originally planned”}
The Health Center had reached an agreement with another physician group to handle the adult side of things as hospitalists. The tentative agreement between the Health Center and physician group would have the outside medical provider as part of the rotation for what’s being described as “community call coverage.”
We anticipate hearing comment from the hospital Thursday.
