PeaceHealth

Wednesday was the third day of testimony in U.S. District Court over PeaceHealth’s plans to transition emergency staffing from Eugene Emergency Physicians to one created by Georgia-based ApolloMD. During testimony from the defense, there were some tensions in the courtroom.

The trial involving a lawsuit filed by Eugene Emergency Physicians against PeaceHealth Oregon and ApolloMD is underway in Eugene federal court. It seeks to halt contract changes the hospital systems plans for three PeaceHealth Emergency Rooms in Lane County.

Local nurses have delivered a petition to the PeaceHealth Board of Directors, signed by more than 6,800 supporters of Eugene Emergency Physicians.

PeaceHealth Oregon’s top executive, who was placed on administrative leave last week, has now been ordered by a federal judge to testify in a lawsuit against the hospital system.

PeaceHealth Oregon’s top executive- Jim McGovern- has been placed on leave. It follows allegations he violated the scope of his administrative license and attempted to dictate patient care that went against providers’ clinical judgment.

A group of physicians in Lane County has filed a lawsuit trying to block the nonprofit PeaceHealth from switching to an out-of-state management company, ApolloMD, to staff its emergency departments.

PeaceHealth said it was committed to moving forward with a transition to an out of state staffing group to manage its Lane County emergency rooms.

The request comes after PeaceHealth announced it would end its decades long relationship with Eugene Emergency Physicians in favor of Apollo MD, a Georgia based staffing company.

More than 150 healthcare workers, elected officials, and community members rallied in front of RiverBend Medical Center in Springfield on Thursday to oppose PeaceHealth’s plan to outsource its local ER doctors.

ApolloMD, the Georgia-based company recently hired by PeaceHealth to staff its Lane County hospital emergency departments, has responded to a request for information from Oregon lawmakers. But, according to the Oregon House Majority Leader, the company’s responses have raised more questions than answers.

Two representatives of Eugene Emergency Physicians went before an Oregon Senate Committee in Salem Thursday, to address issues related to emergency department staffing changes in Lane County.

A majority of nurses at Peacehealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend in Springfield say they have no confidence in their administrators.