Several years ago, while I was a member of the Prince William Hospital medical staff, it was thought that the hospital should cease being independent.
A number of organizations, including Inova, interviewed to merge with, or take over, the hospital. The medical staff vehemently opposed Inova because of its haughty and imperialistic attitude.
With pressure from the community we decided to remain independent. The current proposed merger with Inova was done much more quietly and I wonder why? I have just heard a rumor (fact?) that the hospital plans to replace the current Anesthesia department with a group from Inova.
I have spoken with representatives of the Surgery and Orthopedic departments, the largest users of the Anesthesia department, and they are quite dismayed over this action.
As a surgeon, and more recently the spouse of one who required anesthesia services, I join them in my whole-hearted support of the current department. Is this planned action fall-out from the proposed merger?
Will similar problems develop with other services that are valued by the physicians on staff?
I also understand that the Federal Trade Commission has looked into this possible merger (see Steven Pearlstein’s fine article in the Business Section of last Friday’s Washington Post, where the actions of Inova seem to indicate the “squeezing out” of a very good radiation oncologist from her private practice).
Prince William Hospital may well need to be merged with an organization with lots of cash in order to implement needed improvements, but I, for one, worry that Inova may not be the right entity for this community.
Let’s be sure that the administration has used due diligence in the search for a trustworthy partner and let’s hope that our very competent anesthesiologists and anesthetists are allowed to remain.
JAMES L. WHITE
Manassas
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