LANE COUNTY – PeaceHealth hospitals in Lane County are ending their contracts with Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP), which supplies emergency clinicians. The contracts will terminate on May 30 at PeaceHealth Cottage Grove and June 30 at PeaceHealth RiverBend. Nearly 50 emergency physicians will be affected by this change. These clinicians currently staff the hospitals’ emergency departments and provide frontline emergency care.
After the EEP contracts expire, PeaceHealth will switch to ApolloMD, a Georgia-based company that provides clinicians to medical facilities nationwide. ApolloMD will immediately assume care in the emergency departments following the contract end dates.
“The transition to ApolloMD does not diminish the deep appreciation and respect we have for the physicians and clinicians who currently serve our emergency departments. We sincerely hope they will continue to be a part of this important work,” according to Jim Murez, communications manager for the hospital network.
Current emergency physicians can potentially continue working at PeaceHealth by joining ApolloMD, but they must reapply independently. PeaceHealth will not participate in that hiring or re-credentialing process. Hospital leadership expressed hope that many of the current doctors will choose to return through ApolloMD, creating some professional uncertainty for the nearly 50 affected clinicians.
The transition is intended to be seamless, with no gap in emergency services.
PeaceHealth described this move as an opportunity to reassess emergencymedicine options in the region.
“We are changing management groups for the emergency department physicians, not removing the physicians themselves,” Murez said.
The selection of ApolloMD to manage emergency department physician services in Lane County followed careful review by local clinical and administrative leaders, Murez said, adding that, “we believe this new partnership represents an important opportunity to ensure our patients receive the best possible care.”
PeaceHealth officials stated that the decision was not based on cost but framed it as an investment in improving emergency services. According to Oregon Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kim Ruscher, in an interview with KVAL, the end of the EEP contracts created a “natural time” to explore other options.
“Partnering with organizations best suited to support high-quality care, whether local, regional, or national, is at the core of our commitment to the community,” Murez said. “We have world-class collaborators in our local orthopedics, cancer, and neurosurgery medical groups, and we have strengthened RiverBend’s ICU and rehabilitation services through successful partnerships with leading national organizations. These national partners retain physicians and leaders who live in the communities they serve and work shoulder to shoulder with our care teams.”
As with EEP, ApolloMD is a physician-owned, physician-led organization.
ApolloMD is recognized for its clinical excellence and support for care teams, which aligns with PeaceHealth’s goals to enhance care quality and patient experience, Murez said, adding that the partnership with ApolloMD, along with the planned renovation of the RiverBend emergency department, signifies PeaceHealth’s substantial investment in emergency medicine.
PeaceHealth is planning a remodel of the Riverbend emergency room. The renovation is intended to improve patient flow and efficiency in the ER. This physical overhaul will accompany the organizational shift in emergency care providers.
“PeaceHealth is the primary healthcare provider in Lane County, and that is a responsibility we take seriously.”
