Baptist Health Institutes New Policy, Issues Non-Denial Denial, As Doctors Say Palm Beach County Patients In Danger.
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOYNTON BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A new policy at Bethesda East and Bethesda West hospitals is already hurting patients, according to new information obtained by BocaNewsNow.com. The information was obtained as Baptist Health, the company that oversees the hospitals, issued a non-denial denial regarding our earlier report.
BocaNewsNow.com reported exclusively on Wednesday that Jared Smith, CEO of Bethesda East and West, instituted a new policy: on-call orthopedic surgeons are required to perform delicate hand surgeries if those procedures are needed while the surgeons are on duty. It doesn’t matter that the surgeons may not be trained in a hand specialty. If the orthopedic surgeons refuse, they can lose hospital privileges and “on call” status — two key elements that can make or break a private practice.
Just hours after our report was published, doctors shared messages from an internal communication system revealing that a patient presented at one of the Bethesda Hospitals in Boynton Beach and required emergency hand treatment. The orthopedic surgeon on call was not comfortable performing the surgery, fearing possible compartment syndrome of the hand. The medical team reached out to an area hand surgeon, but that surgeon refused to get involved due to Bethesda’s policies. It was unclear if the on-call orthopedic surgeon ultimately performed the surgery. But the time it took to find a trained hand surgeon was precious time the patient in need lost.
Jared Smith, according to several sources, instituted the new policy as a cost-saving initiative for Baptist Health. Surgeons say it is putting patients at risk. Hand injuries can be extremely complicated and often require a highly trained specialist. Surgeons fear one wrong move can lead to a lifetime of pain or paralysis.
After not responding to three requests for information and clarification made by BocaNewsNow.com, Baptist Health issued this statement Thursday evening:
“Bethesda Hospital East and Bethesda Hospital West have orthopedic surgeons on call in the emergency department. The on-call orthopedic surgeon evaluates all patients presenting with orthopedic issues, including hands.
As part of being credentialed, orthopedic surgeons at these facilities have formal training in the evaluation of hand emergencies. While recognizing the complexity of certain procedures that may necessitate a fellowship-trained hand surgeon, physicians on our staff are equipped with the capability and training to evaluate and diagnose hand cases and refer patients to a hand specialist as needed.
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. Our commitment to the health and well-being of our patients remains unwavering.”
Several sources, however, say the statement is disingenuous, reaffirming that they have been a told a refusal to perform surgery will result in a loss of hospital privileges.
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