Crowd demands hospital try to keep doctors

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The issue of two doctors potentially being forced to leave the community spilled over into a public forum last week when a crowd of more than 40 people packed the meeting room of the Elmore Medical Center Board of Trustees demanding the hospital step in to resolve the matter.

The issue has focused on the inability of the doctor/owners at Trinity Mountain LLC, doctors Karl Olson, Timothy Brininger, Dan Crossley and Wakelee Bledsoe, to reach an agreement with doctors Allan Jeffrey and Scott Baldridge regarding renewal of their contracts with the Trinity group.

Over the last three weeks the letters to the editor page of the Mountain Home News have been filled with letters of support for doctors Jeffrey and Baldridge.

For the full story, pick up a copy of the Mountain Home News or click on this link to subscribe to the newspaper's online edition.

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The hospital should renew both doctor's contracts!

Living in a small town, it is a challenge to find good health care, and with all the problems the Federal government is dishing out we don't need to lose anymore!

-- Posted by DRM on Thu, Mar 11, 2010, at 3:33 PM
Dr. Baldridge is a fantastic doctor. He's also the first doctor to properly diagnose & treat me for something I've suffered from for 5yrs. He goes above & beyond in his practice, never leaving me feeling "stupid" when it comes to any problem I've gone to him with.

Talking with Dr. Baldridge is like talking to a friend! He listens, doesn't try to diagnose you before you've given him all the facts, & most importantly, he follows-up on things. Dr. Baldridge is a class act!

I had a very nice letter typed to the editor but it went missing in cyberworld. This seems so inadequate, but at least I got my two cents in!

-- Posted by MommiezBoyz on Fri, Mar 12, 2010, at 7:35 AM
What the heck is going on? Are you people socialist? You can't tell a privately owned hospital who they should keep on or fire. Ya bunch of dirty commies.

Are you folks going to go after walmart next?

-- Posted by censored on Sat, Mar 13, 2010, at 1:09 PM
I am not sure what the 'crowd' expected the hospital to do in this matter. It seems that this is a business issue involving contract negotations related to the internal workings of a private clinic - not a public hospital.

-- Posted by barbaraid on Mon, Mar 15, 2010, at 11:31 AM
I went ahead and wrote an email knowing full well that the Hospital could/would do little about this. I do feel better about expressing my opinion and no I am not a commie, just a VERY CONCERNED patient and citizen of the community.

I would agree that is was a business decision if the two doctors involved have not been as caring about their patients but having visited with both Dr. Baldridge and Dr. Jeffery, this BUSINESS decision does not pass the common sense test nor any business logic that I am aware of.

-- Posted by B Mullen on Mon, Mar 15, 2010, at 9:04 PM
Contrary to what people may believe, Trinity Mountain Clinic is owned and operated by Elmore Medical Center, which is a hospital district. Trinity Mountain physicians are under contract with the hospital to practice in the clinic. A separate contract gives them the responsibility of hiring the additional physicians to work in the clinic (under the hospital). It is not a matter of a private clinic making private decisions. It is about a group of doctors who are supposed to help the community by selecting doctors to practice as part of our hospital district owned clinic and for the good of our community.

Just wanted to help set the record straight.

-- Posted by IDNative54 on Tue, Mar 16, 2010, at 9:04 PM

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