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16 University of Wisconsin Doctors to Leave Over Aurora Transfer

Posted on: Tuesday, 22 November 2005, 18:00 CST

By Guy Boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Nov. 22--The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health is losing almost one-third of the doctors at its Milwaukee campus after its controversial move to transfer the faculty to Aurora Health Care.

Sixteen of the 49 doctors and two of the nine nurse midwives who were offered contracts with Aurora instead have opted to leave the medical school's faculty.

Six doctors and two midwives on the faculty already work for Aurora under a different contract.

The exodus includes some of the medical school's most experienced professors.

"It may be catastrophic for the program," said Anthony Otters, a doctor and professor who did not sign with Aurora.

The doctors' existing contracts end June 30.

"It's a loss. I don't think there is any question of that," said Jon Sender, a spokesman for the UW medical school. "But the program will continue."

Sender said the change was needed to ensure the long-term viability of the medical school's program in Milwaukee.

The medical school contends that managing the physicians from Madison had become increasingly difficult.

The doctors at the Milwaukee Clinical Campus are non-tenured faculty and employees of the UW medical school. Aurora contracts with the medical school for their services.

The doctors and nurse midwives generally split their time between teaching medical students and residents, seeing patients and doing research.

They work at Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center and several clinics in or near downtown Milwaukee.

In a written statement, Aurora said the health care system and university would begin recruiting doctors to fill the positions now held by the doctors and the midwives who chose not to work for Aurora.

"That's much easier said than done," said Tito Izard, family medicine physician on the faculty.

The sudden exodus could mean a shortage of doctors in Milwaukee's central city.

Last July, the doctors and midwives at the Milwaukee Clinical Campus were told that in one year they no longer would work directly for the UW medical school.

At the same time, they were offered contracts with Aurora.

Several doctors contend that the tension between the medical school's doctors -- many whom have devoted their careers to caring for the poor -- and Aurora's efforts to cut back on services in the central city was the underlying reason for the change.

They also contended that as Aurora employees, they would be less free to challenge such cutbacks, including forcing doctors to drop Medicaid patients from their practices, and barring doctors from accepting new Medicaid patients.

The UW medical school and Aurora contend the employment change is insignificant. The doctors would remain in the same jobs, at the same salary and retain their faculty appointments.

Aurora has stressed that it remained committed to Milwaukee's central city.

In its statement, Aurora said the three residency programs at its hospitals and clinics would continue with the same number of doctors as in the past.

"We've been told by Aurora that there would be no disruption to the teaching of medical students and the mission of the program will continue," said Sender, the spokesman for the UW medical school.

But Otters said: "There will be a residency program, but it won't be the quality it is now. The heart's been ripped out of the program."

In the internal medicine department, where he works, five of the 12 doctors have opted to leave the medical school.

"Some of our more seasoned medical educators are not signing contracts," Otters said.

Sender said he could not comment on whether the change has caused more disruption than the medical school had expected.

"They knew from the beginning that this was going to be an emotional and very involved process," he said.

Twenty-three of the doctors and midwives have filed grievances or appeals with UW.

Further, some of the doctors are considering suing UW, alleging it violated its employment policies and practices, said Jeff Hynes, an employment lawyer representing several of the doctors.

"Our view is it is unfortunate that two entities who wield this much power in our community would seem fit to resort to an unyielding and hard-line position to the very physicians who have been the heart and soul of this program," Hynes said.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Source: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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