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Trauma victims diverted again
Bayfront's shortage of neurosurgeons for emergencies is expected to last till Monday.
By Lisa Greene, Times Staff Writer
Published March 1, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG - Bayfront Medical Center started diverting trauma patients to Tampa again Friday morning because it had no neurosurgeons available for emergencies, state regulators said Friday. The situation is expected to last through the weekend. It was the second time this week that Pinellas County's only Level II trauma center had to stop taking trauma patients. Bayfront stopped taking trauma patients Tuesday morning, resumed Thursday morning, and stopped again 24 hours later. Two of the hospital's four neurosurgeons recently stopped working emergency calls. Neurosurgeons are among 10 specialists the hospital must have on call to be considered a trauma center. Bayfront won't have neurosurgeons on emergency duty again until Monday at 7 a.m., said Susan Smith, a spokeswoman for the state Health Department. The hospital is talking to the two neurosurgeons who have stopped emergency calls, as well as trying to recruit others for emergency work, Bayfront spokeswoman Kanika Tomalin said. "Our hospital's administration is talking to every neurosurgeon in our community about their ability and willingness to take trauma call at our hospital," she said. "We're extending that to neurosurgeons outside our community." There is a statewide shortage of neurosurgeons willing to be on call for emergencies. Hospitals in Orlando, Palm Beach and other areas have had problems. When Bayfront isn't available, trauma patients are taken to Tampa General Hospital, a Level I trauma center, or St. Joseph's Hospital, a Level II trauma center.
[Last modified March 1, 2008, 00:34:28]
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by sally
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03/04/08 08:57 PM
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Bayfront is notorious for pushing out great doctors... They did it with the best radiology group in the area about 5 or so years ago. they didn't want to pay them for call, pushed them out and then ended up paying 3 x's more for outsourced Rad's!
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by Lex
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03/02/08 08:45 AM
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If they aren't willing to be on call then the state should suspend their licenses. They are supposed to be healers, 1st and foremost, not withstanding the fees they will receive regardless of whether the patient survives.
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by Vic
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03/01/08 09:33 AM
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why can't hospitals agreee to pay for the liability insurance that seems to be the biggest problem in keeping qualified medical personel available?
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