OB/GYN program faces new challenge (Phoenix Arizona)

[azskeptic]

OB/GYN program faces new challenge


Christina Leonard
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 17, 2004 12:00 AM

Maricopa County's obstetrics and gynecology residency program has gone through some major trauma for more than a year.

Now the county health system has to fight off accusations that it doesn't meet national accreditation requirements.

The program has been under a microscope since county supervisors first tried to transfer the OB/GYN program to another hospital, then voted to have the program's director fired. The health system also is in the midst of transferring into a new health care district.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, an accreditation group for the nation's teaching hospitals, had asked local health officials to respond to a series of allegations in October. The complaints ranged from questioning the decision to remove Dr. Chris Carey as program director to whether residents were forced to sign a contract saying they wouldn't participate in family planning or induced abortion training, which would violate the council's rules.

Health system officials this month flew to Chicago to hand-deliver a response denying the accusations. Ted Shaw, chief executive officer at Maricopa Integrated Health System, said the situation is not resolved.

"I fully anticipate we will have an onsite review," he said. "They'll come down here and look at the facts and see that the program is functioning OK."

Shaw said the worst-case scenario is that the group would withdraw accreditation. But he's hoping they will show how committed Maricopa Medical Center is to education.

A spokeswoman for the ACGME declined comment.

The residency program, run jointly with St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, has 31 residents. Shaw said it's a community asset that provides services to the poor and underserved - a mission of the hospital - at a lesser cost.

Many of the accusations involve the firing of Carey as director of the program, a move supervisors called a personnel issue. They based the decision on investigations conducted by two staff committees, but officials have not released details about those reports. One committee argued supervisors had no right to remove Carey.

Carey still works as a doctor at the hospital, but administrators have named a new interim chairman and program director.

Shaw said he believes the changes have helped stabilize the program.

Carey said he plans to fight the decision. "I have not violated any hospital rules, bylaws or regulations," Carey said. "I have nothing to hide."

Interim Chairman Dr. Dean Coonrod said the turmoil may have lasting effects. "I think we're going to be challenged to recruit good people," he said.