Oct. 25 -- A change Santa Fe's largest hospital recently made to the way it staffs its labor and delivery department hit rough waters this month, when no obstetrician/gynecologist was available on-site for a 24-hour period.
Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center spokesman Arturo Delgado told The New Mexican in an email Friday the hospital experienced "an interruption in service" during that time.
"When this occurs, patients are safely transferred to nearby hospitals," Delgado wrote. "While a last resort, interruption of services scenarios do occur at hospitals from time to time. To ensure seamless and safe transitions of care for pregnant women, we actively communicate with surrounding hospitals and our patients, in advance."
During the 24-hour period two weekends ago, Delgado said two expectant mothers came to the hospital's emergency department, but they were safely discharged rather than being transferred.
At the beginning of the year, leaders informed Women's Care Specialists staff that moving forward it would be outsourcing obstetrics providers' direct employment to South Carolina-based Ob Hospitalist Group, a third-party staffing agency.
The change, hospital leaders said, was all about staffing. A new staffing model was supposed to ensure that there would always be a physician on shift, in addition to coverage from nurse midwives -- a change from the old model where physicians at times were available on call, but not necessarily actively working every shift. Leaders also hoped the company could draw on its nationwide network to bring in new providers.
It also meant a difference in job description. OBHG providers focused more on obstetrics, while some providers employed directly by the hospital focused more on gynecology services.
It was a controversial move in some quarters, with some providers opting to leave Christus St. Vincent rather than apply for their job at Ob Hospitalist Group, hospital leaders confirmed at the time. Still, they said, they believed the change would ultimately lead to more robust coverage to meet a growing demand for services from patients traveling to Santa Fe from around the region for care.
Delgado on Friday acknowledged the rollout of the new staffing model has been bumpy. He wrote there have been delays in onboarding and credentialing some new physicians, but said the hospital anticipates having full physician coverage within the next month.
"This new 24/7 physician coverage model has taken a bit longer to implement than we would have preferred," he wrote. "Physician recruitment and retention remain our priority as we transition to this physician-led labor and delivery program."
Yolanda Ulmer, CEO of Union District 1199NM, said in a text message the union has raised the labor and delivery unit staffing issue with hospital leaders, describing it as an "ongoing concern" for union members.
She said hospital leaders have told the union they believe the problem is temporary, and said the timeline from Delgado is the same as was provided to her organization.
"We understood there have been hiccups but the union believes it will be resolved," she wrote.