Community Medical Centers (CMC) and the Central California Faculty Medical Group (CCFMG) have agreed to a short-term deal Tuesday to bring six neurosurgeons back to work after a two week absence.
Originally, a contract between CMC and CCFMG for 28 physicians – including the six neurosurgeons – expired on Sep. 1 without a new deal in place.
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Without a contract in place, Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in downtown Fresno ceased to have 24 hour on-call neurosurgery trauma coverage on Sep. 2 at midnight.
Last week, Central California Emergency Medical Services gave CRMC an ultimatum: Restore neurosurgical trauma coverage by 5 p.m. on Sep. 11 or lose the Level 1 trauma center status.
CRMC met that deadline by bringing in two locum physicians from out-of-the-area to provide the necessary coverage temporarily, but still faced the problem of finding a long-term solution.
Although Tuesday’s agreement is a short-term deal, it is a positive signal from both sides that they will eventually agree to a new long-term contract.
CMC and CCFMG released a joint statement Tuesday to announce the deal:
“Community Medical Centers and Central California Faculty Medical Group agree wholeheartedly that putting patients first is, and always will be, the right thing to do. Having that common ground is the foundation and motivation for working toward restoring our partnership.
“We have a short-term agreement in place that will give both parties more time to work through the finer details of a long-term agreement. In the meantime, CCFMG will resume neurosurgery call coverage to support Community Regional Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma Center.
“Strong, long-term physician and hospital partnerships are critical to our mission and responsibility to our community. We will continue to work together with transparency and in good faith on a renewed partnership and remain committed to training the next generation of talented physicians and providing essential healthcare to Valley residents.”
