NCMC doctors' contract expires

North Colorado Medical Center has contracted temporarily with a national company to provide its anesthesiologist management services -- evading a potential crisis after the Greeley Anesthesia Specialists (GAS) group disbanded recently.

Patient surgery has not been interrupted, NCMC spokesman Gene Haffner said. The hospital added traveling anesthesiologists and started soliciting proposals from new management groups, which were due Friday.

GAS, which has held an exclusive contract with NCMC for three years, was in the midst of negotiations with the hospital for a contract set to expire May 31. Leading up to the deadline, rumors circulated about problems that would result in Greeley losing qualified doctors.

The rumblings were difficult to suppress or confirm as Dr. Ted Hart, who was head of the group, dodged several phone calls and declined an interview with a Tribune reporter regarding the anonymous tips about the contract that had been sent to the paper. Several anesthesiologists also refused to comment, although Dr. Meg Thornton confirmed Friday that the group she was part of had disbanded. The hospital was notified in early- to mid-April, Haffner said.

As for doctors who refused to return phone calls, Thornton said, "I don't think they're being defensive. We're just wary of the media." Thornton said coverage has continued -- she was on-call Thursday -- which, therefore, makes the topic a nonissue. She declined to comment further.

Gene Haffner said hospital care has not been jeopardized because doctors who are part of the group are still on the medical staff.

"What we are dealing with is (a change in) the organizational business structure, not patient care issues," he said.

"We have been continuing to offer very high quality emergency trauma, routine and heart surgeries over the last six weeks and we expect to continue to do the same," Haffner said.

The management company, CCI, has temporarily replaced GAS -- scheduling assignments, and assisting with billing and collection, for example.

The addition of locum tenen doctors was necessary for backup as well as to allow for 24-7 in-hospital coverage, which is an improvement from previously, Haffner said.

Eight requests for proposals for the contract were sent to local anesthesiologist who asked for them, anesthesiologist in northern Colorado and national anesthesiologist groups.

Haffner said the plan is to evaluate and reach a decision by July 1.

A new contract is expected to be in place by late summer.