Christus will continue to care for cancer patients
Recently, news about the relationship between New Mexico Cancer Care Associates and Christus St. Vincent has created unnecessary and unwanted fear for cancer patients during a vulnerable time in their lives.
At first, because the rhetoric was so heated, I did not want to get involved. But after seeing continued misrepresentation of the facts, I feel I must speak out for the sake of patients. I am writing this as the only person who has provided care both as a former partner of New Mexico Cancer Care Associates and now as a physician at Christus St. Vincent.
Cancer care is unbelievably complex and requires an integrated team. For the past six years, I have worked in Santa Fe as a medical oncologist for New Mexico Cancer Care Associates. During this time, the associates and the hospital worked as a team to accomplish our goals of providing excellent cancer care.
The contractual relationship between New Mexico Cancer Care Associates and Christus St. Vincent is complex. During the last contract renewal negotiations, several contractual models were discussed.
In the end, medical oncologists with New Mexico Cancer Care Associates not only did not want to be employed by Christus St. Vincent, they didn’t even want to continue with the same contract if offered. They wanted more control with financial investment opportunities. Without this, they were not interested in continuing their relationship with the hospital. New Mexico Cancer Care Associates announced last year it planned to become an independent, multi-specialty group and would end the contract with the hospital.
The hospital knows the importance of having a cancer care program as part of a fully integrated health system, services that patients need. Since New Mexico Cancer Care Associates did not want to continue the partnership, the hospital knew it had the responsibility to ensure continuity of care for its patients.
So, planning for the future is what both groups started to do. For the hospital’s part, leaders there committed to a new cancer building and started to work to meet the growing needs of the community. For New Mexico Cancer Care Associates, it started to work on forming a multi-specialty group.
As the focus of New Mexico Cancer Care Associates and its vision changed, I had a decision to make. Cancer care is expensive, but as a nonprofit, the money generated by the hospital stays in the community. It is reinvested into the support services that are desperately needed by patients, such as dietitians, social workers and clinics for lymphedema. The money also goes to providing care to patients with little or no insurance. I had to decide to stay with New Mexico Cancer Care Associates or to continue to partner with someone I had already worked with. So, I notified the associates of my upcoming resignation and joined the hospital to support its nonprofit mission.
What has really infuriated me in recent articles is the idea the hospital “lured” me to join them, which is not true. Nonetheless, immediately after notifying New Mexico Cancer Care Associates of my resignation, I was threatened and there were attempts to prevent me from seeing my patients.
I wish success for my former colleagues, but I will not sit by as they misrepresent facts. Using the press to air grievances over contract negations and insinuating patient care will be threatened is inexcusable and unprofessional. Making cancer patients worry about their immediate care is reprehensible.
It is the responsibility of the hospital to continue to work with New Mexico Cancer Care Associates until the transition is complete, which has always been the intention. Unfortunately, New Mexico Cancer Care Associates’ leaders have been unwilling to discuss a transition or mediate.
Regardless of what New Mexico Cancer Care Associates decides, Christus St. Vincent will see everyone, ensure they get treated and give them the same access to services they need.
I want to apologize to the patients. You deserve better.