Parkview responds to doctors' departure

November 15, 2006

Brunswick hospital sees no loss of women's health services, despite decision of three doctors to leave at the end of the year
BRUNSWICK - Three of four physicians and one nurse midwife practicing at Parkview Women's Healthcare, a physician practice owned by Parkview Adventist Medical Center, have decided not to return as employees of the hospital when their contract expires Dec. 31.

Two of the doctors, Gregory Gimbel and Melissa Streeter, and nurse/midwife Elsa Levy will be joining Mid Coast Medical Group, which operates from Mid Coast Hospital, starting January 2. Gimbel graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, part of the Adventist health system that Parkview is also affiliated with.

After Dec. 31, the hospital will have at least two physicians practicing at Parkview Women's Healthcare, who will be able to continue to see all patients currently part of the practice, according to Amy Landry, Parkview's public relations coordinator. She said the hospital is recruiting another physician and is planning to hire three nurse/midwives.

"For sure, (we're) going to have two, and we're pretty confident we're going to have three," Landry said, noting that an evaluation by the hospital indicated only three obstetricians/gynecologists would be needed.

So far, the doctors have not resigned their privileges to practice at the hospital, but practicing at Mid Coast Hospital would preclude them from practicing at Parkview, Landry said.

Landry said she doesn't know of any obstetrics/gynecology unit nurses also planning to leave Parkview - although she expects some will - but that staffing changes will not require staff reductions.

"We're sure that that practice will be fully staffed," she said, so patients can continue their care with Parkview Women's Health Care. She said the hospital is committed to women's health and has recently launched a Spirit of Women program, which consists of standards for women's health care and health awareness adopted by a national network of hospitals.

Landry said the hospital has not been officially notified by the doctors of their plans after Dec. 31, but Mid Coast Hospital spokesperson Mike L'Abbe confirmed Tuesday that Gimbel, Streeter and Levy would be joining Mid Coast Medical Group in the new year.

L'Abbe said the three will start practicing from offices at 66 Baribeau Drive on Jan. 2.

He said Mid Coast Hospital hired the three because it was an opportunity to hire excellent staff who are already associated with the community.

With the addition of Streeter, Gimbel and Levy, Mid Coast Hospital will have five obstetrician/gynecologists and two nurse midwives.

Streeter and Gimbel declined to talk about the reasons for the switch.

Source: http://www.timesrecord.com/website/main.nsf/news.nsf/0/71BE6BF90D8A31D605257227005F4C3B?Opendocument