Senior status exempts physicians from emergency call

Connecticut’s Office of Health Care Access (OHCA) has decided that three ophthalmologists do not have to provide emergency department call to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London. The three ophthalmologists are on the staff of Constitution Eye Surgery Center East, which opened in 2000 with permission from OHCA provided that the physicians provide on-call coverage for patients needing specialty eye care in the Lawrence & Memorial emergency department, among other conditions, reports the TheDay.com.

Shortly after the eye surgery center opened, two of the physicians requested that Lawrence & Memorial change their medical staff status from active to senior. The third requested the same status change in 2005.  The hospital granted all requests, but when it began having difficulty covering emergency call, the hospital asked OHCA to enforce the conditions it had mandated in 2000. The OHCA conducted a hearing in March and decided last week that because Lawrence & Memorial had granted the status change and because the physicians maintain privileges at the hospital, they are not out of compliance and therefore do not have to provide emergency call.