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6 Investigates Follows-Up: Physicians call for State Medical Board investigation into Spohn’s anesthesia program

Posted at 10:02 PM, Jul 12, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-30 13:12:54-04

UPDATE (July 13, 2018 11:00 p.m.)The video has been updated to reflect most current information.


One of Texas’ largest medical societies is calling on the Texas Medical Board to launch an investigation of CHRISTUS-Spohn hospital’s decision to hire "EmergencHealth" as its primary anesthesia services provider.

The Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, on Thursday forwarded KRIS 6 News a memo, written by society President Dr. Girish Joshi, on behalf of the 3,300 member organization.

The memo, which is posted below, asks the Medical Board to investigate whether the hospital and EmergencHealth are allowing anesthesia procedures to be performed without proper medical direction.

The request follows a series of KRIS-6 News Investigations highlighting the hospital’s lack of transparency about their decision to dump their longtime anesthesia services provider in favor of "EmergencHealth", and the medical community’s reaction to the decision.

Our continuing investigation also exposed EmergencHealth as a start-up company that, until recently, existed only on paper, this despite the hospital’s claim that EmergencHealth is a "national firm."

Meanwhile, the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists say Spohn’s actions place "profit over patient safety."

A Spohn spokesman on Thursday night toldChief Investigative Reporter Rick Spruillthe hospital is not aware of any investigations by the medical board or the Society of Anesthesiologists, but that the hospital welcomes the opportunity to meet with both groups.

A CHRISTUS Health official on Friday emailed KRIS-6 News that their "selection of a new anesthesiology group has in no way diminished our high standards of quality health care."

Read Joshi’s memo, here:

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