Harlingen hospital reaches agreement with ER doctors

HARLINGEN — A group of 16 emergency room doctors that had submitted a notice of resignation to Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen earlier this month reached an agreement Thursday to extend its 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 the doctors group had reached an agreement with Valley Baptist Health System and signed a letter of agreement.

The agreement is effective immediately and includes 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 chief executive officer of Valley Baptist Health System, said in the news release.

Valley Emergency Physicians submitted a memorandum to Valley Baptist Health System on Sept. 10 saying the hospital administration’s focus on “metric results” could compromise patient care and reduce doctors’ income.

“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.

She said the agreement re-emphasizes 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 agreement meets the mutual goals of both groups to provide outstanding, state-of-the-art medical care in a positive, efficient environment, Nathan said.