CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One day after the Nueces County Hospital District voted to leave the agreement reached between CEO Jonny Hipp and CHRISTUS Spohn to continue the area's Emergency Medicine Residency Program on the table, Pct. 4 commissioner Brent Chesney told 3NEWS it's not a matter of if, but when, an agreement will be reached that satisfies all parties involved.
While the tentative agreement would have extended the life of the program by 5 years, representatives from the Nueces County medical community worried that, as the years ticked by, the guaranteed life of the program wouldn't be long enough to attract and keep the residents needed for the 5-year program in two or three years from now.
When the issue became public in October, commissioners and doctors said time was of the essence in reaching an agreement. So does Wednesday's development mean the situation has changed? Chesney says "No."
"It didn’t really slow down," he said. "The deal that was made was a good deal, but the medical community didn’t feel like it was a long enough deal for the commitment that they need to do what they need to do," he said.
For Chesney, though, he said the situation could be resolved in 15 minutes if everyone involved would hear each other out.
"My response to all of this, really, is: If everyone would just put aside their differences in the spirit of Thanksgiving. . . . just realize that we’re trying to save a program that has 50 doctors that could leave this community -- which would be devastating to the poor in this community, which would be devastating to the aging in this community, most. If Spohn has changed their business model, give it to HCA. If Spohn wants it, just commit to a longer term. It’s 100 percent doable."
HCA is the parent company of the Corpus Christi Medical Center -- the medical entity that includes Doctor's Regional Hospital and Bay Area Hospital.
In a statement to 3NEWS, Corpus Christi Medical Center confirmed that it is has entered the conversation to save the embattled program.
Corpus Christi Medical Center shares a common goal with our community partners to further the improvement of healthcare in the Coastal Bend. Preliminary discussions are ongoing to support the continuation of the emergency medicine residency program in Corpus Christi.
3NEWS reached out to CHRISTUS Spohn representatives for comment Thursday. They declined.
Chesney said that while his optimism in the process has taken a slight hit, that he is confident that a solution is not just a possibility, but an eventuality.
"I still think the opportunity exists if everyone will go into this. . . . and say ‘We want to save it. How do we save it?’ Not ‘Are we going to save it?’ Because I think we’re past that. I think this community has clearly spoken and everybody realizes it. We now know we want to save it; 100 percent. So, it’s not a matter of 'Can we?’ We can. It’s a matter of 'Will we?' "
He said the fact that both hospital groups have expressed interest at different points during the weekslong discussions is a win-win.
"Everybody’s just gotta go to the table and be honest and be open," he said. "And – look – there’s no shame if Spohn doesn’t want it. HCA does. There’s no shame if Spohn says ‘We made a mistake, we want to keep it longer.' Let’s just get it done.”
"It’s not rocket science."