Effective January 31, 2204, OhioHealth in Columbus is revoking the hospital privileges of 17 physicians who are investors in a competing for-profit specialty hospital. The 17 physicians were investors in New Albany (Ohio) Surgical Hospital.
Eighteen months ago OhioHealth and Mount Carmel Health System both said they would restrict or revoke the privileges of physicians who referred patients to competing hospitals in which they held financial interests. Mount Carmel has taken no action thus far.
A spokesperson for the New Albany hospital stated they believed “physician credentials should be based on a doctor’s competence, education, clinical skills, medical judgment and experience and not economics”. The AMC/NOMA is on record in opposition of any form of economic credentialing. To view the AMC/NOMA points regarding economic credentialing go to
http://www.amcnoma.org/webpages/main/physician_credentialing_practice_021503.asp