PHA Launches National Campaign to Protect Physician Ownership

Sioux Falls — Physician Hospitals of America (PHA), the national association representing the interests of the physician hospital industry, is appealing to the public to help stop the threatened shut down of America’s physician-owned hospitals.

The appeal comes in a series of advertisements released throughout the states and in national media that were prompted by threatened action by Senator Max Baucus, (D-Mont.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

“Baucus, acting on behalf of ‘big box’ hospitals, has sought to effectively shut down physician-run hospitals despite evidence that patients receive better, safer care and are less likely to die,” states a PHA press release.

The physicians refute a number of attacks that have been made against them and other physician-run hospitals either by or on behalf of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

“The AHA represents ‘big box’ hospitals that are typically run by non-physicians. The AHA has steadfastly refused to provide Congress with detailed patient outcome statistics in open hearings so that apples-to-apples comparisons can be made with physician-run hospitals,” the press release reads.

“Instead of focusing on issues related to patient care, outcomes and true cost comparisons, AHA administrators and their congressional surrogates have attacked the integrity of physicians who refuse to put their patients at risk in ‘big box’ hospitals.”

The PHA campaign has spread across Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Michigan, West Virginia, New Mexico, and in Roll Call Magazine on Capitol Hill. PHA plans to continue the campaign through the end of session and will implement a long term public relations strategy running into 2008.

“PHA believes that the time is right to make a very strong stand against the anti-physician ownership rhetoric constantly espoused by the American Hospital Association and other opponents,” asserts Molly Sandvig, PHA executive director. “It is only appropriate that the public be made aware of the positive choice in care that we all stand to lose should our opponents in Congress successfully pass language such as Section 651 of the former CHAMP Act.”

Click the link below to view the national ad:

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