Taj Shafique: Management does not provide health care; physicians, providers do | Columns

Taj Shafique: Management does not provide health care; physicians, providers do | Columns

My name is Taj Shafique and I have served as a general surgeon in this community since 1996. I have therefore witnessed the destruction of a wonderful community hospital to its present diminished state.

Recent events have prompted a justified community’s response. Recently, the chief executive officer of Concord Hospital published a full page response letter in The Laconia Daily Sun.

I personally classify this letter more of an advertisement than a response to community concerns. Before I elaborate on Mr. Robert Steigmeyer’s response, here is my take.

It is well known that the primary care infrastructure in our community has been stretched to its limits. New patients in the community had a very difficult time finding a primary care physician and the existing patients could not get an appointment, prompting them to seek care in multiple walk-in, convenience care facilities for urgent needs. Emergency department visits have exploded for the same reason resulting in long waiting times.

With all the above facts in clear sight, the Concord Hospital administration terminated the contracts of three highly qualified and respected internists with immediate effect. More importantly, they abandoned thousands of patients in this community by taking a wrecking ball to an already fragile primary care infrastructure. Irrespective of the cause of such terminations, the three internists were not even given the courtesy of continuing their contracts for a few months to care for some of their sick patients that needed ongoing care and to reassign the remaining patients in an organized and methodical manner. Now the Concord Hospital managers are picking up the pieces by issuing useless phone numbers and promising calls to the affected patients. I think their action clearly violates the ethical and moral standards of patient care.

Regarding Mr. Steigmeyer’s letter/advertisement regarding the phone number and calls from management, I have heard from a lot patients and have not found any affected patient who has had an appropriate response from calling the phone number. Similarly, very few patients have been called by Concord Hospital management; myself, my wife and many of my close friends included. Maybe it will happen sometime in the future but any responsible organization should have put a plan in place before pulling the trigger.

The CEO’s letter regarding preservation of 1,130 staff and providers and their pensions implies a favor. This was part of the deal when Concord Hospital bought this bankrupt hospital at a very low price. Furthermore, how would you run a hospital without its staff and providers?

Regarding Mr. Steigmeyer’s claim about expansion of services, the facts are women are still traveling to Concord for diagnostic mammograms except on Fridays, the interventional radiology is only available for a very limited time. Most patients needing major orthopedic procedures are still being transferred to Concord. The sleep study lab has disappeared. The weight institute is no loner in existence. The oncology clinic never returned. Whatever the reasons, I do not think that the CEO can claim expansion of services.

The most important part of Mr. Steigmeyer’s letter refers to hiring of 67 new providers. It however fails to state how many have left. With due respect, I do not see where these new hires are, they have certainly made no significant positive impact on the community care.

I do not intend to question Mr. Steigmeyer’s quoted statistics but beg to state that none of those have contributed to increased services or health care access in this community. After all, the only objective of any provider or health care organization is to care for the patients.

I do want to comment briefly about a letter by Dr. Matthew Gibb, the chief clinical officer in Concord Hospital management in The Laconia Daily Sun suggesting that he should have been called by Dr. Edward Farmlett as a fellow physician before expressing his concerns. Firstly, Dr. Farmlett’s letter was about the policies of Concord Hospital leadership and not directed to any person. More importantly, the chief clinical officer did not extended the courtesy as a fellow physician to call the three highly qualified respected internists before terminating their contracts instantaneously resulting in loss of their livelihood and abandonment of thousands of patients.

It is of utmost importance to understand that the health care management does not provide health care, the physicians and other providers do. The management provides the tools and facilities for the health care providers to deliver care to the community and individual patients. It is obvious that Concord Hospital management does not understand and follow this very simple philosophy. I hope this community and its leaders and elected representatives will take this matter seriously to prevent such ethical and moral violation of standards. My suggestion is to have an open meeting and invite community members and leaders, the press, the Concord Hospital Board of Trustees and the Concord Hospital senior leadership for an open discussion.

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Taj Shafique is a board certified surgeon and medical doctor who practiced in the Lakes Region starting in 1996 and retiring in January 2024, at Lakes Region General Hospital, later Concord Hospital-Laconia.

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