Nine employees in Auburn (N.Y.) Community Hospital’s anesthesiology department turned in their resignations after the chief anesthesiologist’s firing, according to a Nov. 17 report from The Post-Standard.
The hospital’s former chief of anesthesiology, Xi Yang, MD, filed a lawsuit Nov. 13 alleging wrongful termination. In the lawsuit, Dr. Yang said the hospital fired him after raising patient safety concerns in August related to an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon allegedly left operations to see other patients’ surgeries.
The orthopedic surgeon’s office did not return requests for comment from The Post-Standard or Becker’s.
Dr. Yang said he received a termination letter Sept. 9, informing him of an investigation filed by the surgeon and an effective firing date of Nov. 9, according to the report.
Four anesthesiologists and five certified registered nurse anesthetists told The Post-Standard they have turned in resignations. They said the resignations will be effective within 90 to 120 days, per their contracts.
Only one anesthesiology employee will remain, according to the newspaper.
A spokesperson for Auburn Community Hospital told Becker’s the surgical teams are fully staffed at the 99-bed acute care facility, and all procedures are continuing as scheduled.
The spokesperson did not answer questions about staffing of anesthesiologists and CRNAs.
“As a hospital that values privacy and professionalism for both patients and staff, we do not disclose details related to individual employment or litigation matters,” the hospital said in a statement. “Our decisions are guided by what’s best for our patients and our continued commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care close to home.”
Auburn Community Hospital is the “sole provider of acute and general hospital services in Cayuga County and the surrounding areas,” according to its website: “We serve a population of approximately 80,000 throughout the Finger Lakes region.”
