Lander doctor questions new hospital staffing model for 2027

SageWest Health Care announced a new strategic partnership to support its hospitalist program beginning in 2027. The hospital stated the arrangement will provide enhanced clinical leadership and peer support for its physicians. It is not a locum tenens staffing program, the hospital said.

Dr. Ryan Firth, a Lander pediatrician, disagrees with that description. He told the Cowboy State Daily that the plan sounds like a network of traveling doctors. He said the new physicians will staff the hospital on a rotating basis and then leave.

“These physicians don’t live here, and just come in for their assignment then go home,” Firth said. “To me, that’s clearly a locums doc, regardless of how you label the partnership with the overseeing organization.”

SageWest declined interview requests and did not name its partner. The hospital also did not clarify whether existing hospitalists would be replaced. It said current staff have been encouraged to explore opportunities with the new partner.

Firth has practiced in Lander for 17 years. He said he has worked with locum tenens physicians and even served as one himself. He believes traveling doctors serve a good purpose in many settings.

However, he argues that replacing an established local group with rotating visitors is not ideal for the community. He said the shift could hurt continuity of care when patients return home.

Doctors who stay only a week or two may not know the local resources available for recovery. Firth pointed to physical and occupational therapy services in Lander as an example. These services support active residents like ranchers, climbers, and oil-field workers.

“I think what is at risk for being lost, though, with having a lot of outside providers coming in, is they don’t know about the resources for patients once they go home,” Firth said.

He also noted that insurance companies closely track hospital readmission rates. If a patient is discharged and then readmitted, it reflects poorly on both the hospital and the community doctor.

Firth said he understands the difficulty of leaving a hospital practice. He phased out his own hospitalist work five years ago because he felt less confident about the care model. He wants to support his colleagues as they face a similar transition.