Local physician Dr. Greg Salard said he expects his full privileges to be restored at the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) following a review hearing held last week between him and the hospital’s board of directors.
“I fully expect to get my permanent privileges back,” Salard said.
Salard is employed through Alaska Island Community Services (AICS), and was contracted to work at the WMC with provisional privileges through early February 2011. After his contract expired, Salard was required to reapply to the WMC for permanent privileges to continue to practice at the hospital.
WMC did grant Salard his privileges last spring, however, temporary ones that were set to expire in November. In November, the WMC board decided not to extend those hospital privileges.
Salard said last week’s review hearing should have occurred before WMC made that decision in November.
“This is something that should have been done before they took their action to withdraw my privileges,” he said.
As a result of WMC’s decision, Salard filed a civil suit in Wrangell court in early December. Salard’s attorney, Lee Holen, said they took the WMC to court in order to have Salard’s privileges restored at the hospital pending his review hearing.
“And that was successful,” Holen said.
According to court documents, on Dec. 12, Alaska Superior Court Judge Kevin G. Miller ordered that Salard’s privileges be reinstated at WMC and both parties move forward with the due process hearing.
Salard said he thought the hearing went well and was pleased the WMC Board of Directors, acting as the “hearing committee,” was able to “hear the whole story.”
“They have heard the facts now, and I fully expect to get my privileges,” Salard said.
The hearing began around 10 a.m. Feb. 21 and continued past 4 p.m.
WMC Administrator Noel Selle-Rea said both the hospital and Salard had the opportunity to bring information to the attention of the hearing committee. He did not wish to comment further, saying what happened at the hearing was confidential.
Both Salard and the WMC’s attorneys were expected to give the WMC board a written final argument Tuesday. The board will now have 20 days, since Tuesday, to make a final decision on Salard’ privileges at WMC, Holen said.
If denied privileges, Holen said she and Salard will likely decide to file a wrongful denial claim. However, their intent is to have Salard’s privileges at the hospital restored.
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