LANE COUNTY, Ore. — Internal PeaceHealth emails obtained by our newsroom appear to show a RiverBend hospital executive using his authority to influence patient care decisions in the emergency department before he was placed on administrative leave.
The emails are between Dr. Jim McGovern and several staff members. PeaceHealth urologist Chris Kyle said staff members were surprised by what they saw when the messages were presented during a special meeting held ahead of McGovern being placed on leave.
The emails are between Dr. Jim McGovern and several staff members. PeaceHealth urologist Chris Kyle said staff members were surprised by what they saw when the messages were presented during a special meeting held ahead of McGovern being placed on leave.
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KVAL -{ }Internal emails allege PeaceHealth executive influenced RiverBend ER patient care
“The medical staff didn’t realize the degree to which they had been given so much pressure from above, I mean when we read through. What was released to us it was pretty shocking to see. How much you not only have to make a decision about what’s right for the patient but then you have to justify that to administrators that are questioning your judgment,” Kyle said.
The email exchanges show McGovern directing physicians to discharge patients against doctors’ clinical judgment and instructing them to withhold diagnostic information deemed medically appropriate. The emails also accuse McGovern of harassment and intimidation of clinical providers.
The email exchanges show McGovern directing physicians to discharge patients against doctors’ clinical judgment and instructing them to withhold diagnostic information deemed medically appropriate. The emails also accuse McGovern of harassment and intimidation of clinical providers.
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Some of the emails claim McGovern wanted to discharge patients against doctors’ wishes, including one patient who had suffered an acute heart attack.
Another incident described in the emails involved McGovern allegedly challenging the admittance of someone who had suffered a stroke and, when confronted by a doctor, admitting he did not read the patient’s report in detail.
Other exchanges highlight three separate cases alleging McGovern accused doctors of ordering unneeded MRIs for patients simply because the patients asked for them. In the emails, the hospital’s chair for emergency care replied by explaining the need for the MRIs and warning McGovern that he was potentially violating state laws by trying to interfere with their decisions.
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The emails also allege McGovern pushed for early patient discharges due to a lack of beds in the emergency department.
Some of the emails claim McGovern wanted to discharge patients against doctors’ wishes, including one patient who had suffered an acute heart attack.
Another incident described in the emails involved McGovern allegedly challenging the admittance of someone who had suffered a stroke and, when confronted by a doctor, admitting he did not read the patient’s report in detail.
Other exchanges highlight three separate cases alleging McGovern accused doctors of ordering unneeded MRIs for patients simply because the patients asked for them. In the emails, the hospital’s chair for emergency care replied by explaining the need for the MRIs and warning McGovern that he was potentially violating state laws by trying to interfere with their decisions.
Click here to view the PDF file
McGovern was placed on leave Friday. PeaceHealth has been contacted repeatedly in an attempt to speak with McGovern, but the hospital has said he is unavailable.