by
John R. Fischer, Senior Reporter | February 27, 2023
Problems continue
The contract employees were affiliated with HCA’s Physician Services Group, an in-house staffing unit, and were brought on in 2021 after the hospital cut its anesthesiology staff from 15 providers to one. They were less talented and dedicated, said staff, and their arrival was when “terrifying” errors began, said Giannakopoulos.
Following a meeting in December 2021 with a hospital administration official, staff were told that their concerns would be addressed, but little changed, said Giannakopoulos. In fact, he said speaking out led the hospital to reject his reelection as chief of staff for two more years, despite staff supporting the measure.
Dr. Christine Behan, a family medicine physician and contract employee of the hospital, who chairs its board, said Giannakopoulos repeatedly made threats and yelled at and berated staff, doctors and administrators, and that this was the reason for the hospital's decision.
“All those charges were manufactured by the hospital administration to keep me from being chief of staff because I was calling them out on patient care,” said Giannakopoulos.
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