Worries over an unknown substance forced the emergency lockdown of two hospitals near St. Louis, Missouri.

By Mary Jo Feldstein, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan. 31--St. Mary's Health Center in Richmond Heights has approached its emergency room physicians with a plan to no longer directly employ them, but rather have the doctors work as independent contractors for a national emergency room staffing company.

By Mary Jo Feldstein, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan. 30--Emergency room physicians at St. Anthony's Medical Center in south St. Louis County say the majority of them have resigned and could leave the hospital by April 1.

By Mary Jo Feldstein, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan. 26--A proposal by St. Anthony's Medical Center to no longer directly employ its emergency room physicians has left some of those doctors unhappy and looking for work elsewhere. St.

By Mary Jo Feldstein, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jan. 9--New urgent care centers are popping up across the region, mirroring a national trend and reaffirming patients' growing desire for convenience. St.