While Carson-Tahoe Hospital struggles with a volatile medical market, some local physician groups are siphoning off a portion of the most lucrative sector by performing laboratory procedures in their offices, according to Carson City supervisors Pete Livermore and Kay Bennett.
Physician groups offer services, such as endoscopy and orthopedic services, to patients who can pay or who are insured. Meanwhile, Medicare, dependent and uninsured patients are sent to the hospital, said the supervisors.
"Physician groups are cherry-picking the best and most profitable aspects (of patient care)," Bennett said, noting the hospital needs a mix of these patients to stay profitable.
"Those able to pay are sent to private office, but those that can't are directed to the county hospital," Livermore said. "That's the nature of the beast. It has been Steve's (Smith, chief executive of the hospital) success that he has been able to keep those alliances with the medical staff ... intact and aligned with hospital."
"Most of the medical staff is behind the hospital 100 percent," said Smith said, noting that some physicians are taking advantage of the market.
Affiliation could help level the playing field because the hospital will be looking after its own interests, according to Bennett.
"Physicians or any business group have a right to do what they do," Bennett said. "But there are consequences. It makes the idea of affiliation that much more important to look at because of the ability of that entity to make a capital investment, so the hospital can continue its commitment to the community."
