Timeline of PeaceHealth’s tumultuous decision to switch emergency providers

Since PeaceHealth announced in early February that it would end its longstanding contract with Eugene Emergency Physicians — the doctor and physician assistant group that staffs its emergency department — the decision has prompted rapid developments and forceful messaging from all sides.

The Atlanta-based contractor ApolloMD is scheduled to take over July 1. Providers with Eugene Emergency Physicians, also known as EEP, have said they will not work for ApolloMD for at least 90 days, citing concerns about patient care and physician treatment.

Lookout Eugene-Springfield compiled this timeline to track the still-unfolding events. All audio recordings and documents obtained by Lookout have been authenticated. 

Feb. 3

PeaceHealth Oregon Chief Hospital Executive Jim McGovern emails staff that the hospital will end its 35-year contract with Eugene Emergency Physicians and select ApolloMD as the new emergency department provider.

Feb. 4

PeaceHealth Oregon Chief Medical Officer Kim Ruscher confirms the contract switch to Lookout Eugene-Springfield. With EEP’s agreement set to expire in summer 2026, PeaceHealth issued a request for proposals and awarded the contract to ApolloMD. Ruscher says ApolloMD intends to retain many, if not all, current EEP clinicians.

Feb. 10

All 41 EEP clinicians — 32 physicians and nine physician assistants — sign a pledge not to work for ApolloMD for at least 90 days.

On the same day, McGovern and Ruscher hold two private meetings, one in the morning and one in the evening, to discuss the contract change. Many staff ask why they were not involved in the request-for-proposals process and press for details on how proposals were scored and what metrics guided the decision.

The executives do not provide specifics, and point to what they describe as ApolloMD’s impressive track record. Staff question why EEP was not viewed similarly.  

Feb. 15

Numerous health care workers come forward to Lookout Eugene-Springfield, sharing that staffing and resource strains at the PeaceHealth emergency department predate the contract decision. Emergency physicians say they are being blamed for problems tied to years of administrative decisions and cuts, including the closure of the University District emergency department in 2023.

Feb. 16

In a public letter, EEP says its doctors want to continue practicing at RiverBend as a locally based group rather than as employees of ApolloMD, citing concerns about physician treatment and patient care under the company.

On the same day, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, a national professional society representing 8,000 specialists in emergency medicine, publishes its own letter in support of EEP. The academy president, Robert Frolichstein, writes that federal regulations and professional standards indicate that medical staff have input into the selection of a contract service of this scale.

Feb. 18

At the request of medical staff, RiverBend Chief of Staff William Emerson convenes a special meeting attended by about 400 people in person and online. During the meeting, physicians introduce motions including whether they have confidence in McGovern and Ruscher. An in-room show of hands indicates support for a symbolic no-confidence vote.

Feb. 19

About 3:30 p.m.: Emerson emails medical staff a bylaws-governed ballot with two yes-no measures: whether to support a formal no-confidence vote in McGovern and Ruscher and whether to support repealing the ApolloMD contract. No voting deadline is specified.

About 4:45 p.m.: McGovern publishes an opinion column in Lookout Eugene-Springfield defending the decision and saying that he and Rusher “spent many hours listening to the medical staff.” He writes that EEP “didn’t earn the contract,” ApolloMD “was the more well-rounded and qualified partner,” and the focus now is on “ensuring a smooth transition.” 

Feb. 20

ApolloMD Chief Executive Officer Yogin Patel publishes a column in Lookout Eugene-Springfield introducing himself and the company to Eugene and Springfield. He writes that the company is clinician-owned and not owned by private equity. He states the group is starting a new local practice called Lane Emergency Physicians.

Feb. 24

Doctors at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend vote 345-25 that they do not have confidence in two hospital leaders or in the decision to replace the emergency department provider group.

Feb. 25

Oregon legislators ask PeaceHealth and ApolloMD about their business arrangement to provide emergency medical care in Lane County. They press for details about whether the deal complies with a state law about private equity and health care.

March 1

In an interview with Lookout Eugene-Springfield, McGovern said that ApolloMD has “40-plus” doctors and physician assistants in a “credentialing pipeline,” which he said “means they’ve signed contracts and committed to come” work at PeaceHealth. Credentialing for new emergency physicians in Oregon can take two to three months. The interview is part of a larger story about coordinated care and partners like fire departments.

March 2

The Oregon Nurses Association organized an electronic vote for the 1,600 registered nurses at RiverBend that it represents. A majority participated, with 98% voting “no confidence,” according to results.

March 5

Two doctors with Eugene Emergency Physicians asked elected officials for a state-level review of PeaceHealth’s decision to contract with ApolloMD. The doctors specifically raised concerns about compliance with Oregon’s private-equity law, SB 951, and potential risks to disaster response and overall patient care.

March 9

ApolloMD responds to lawmakers with a five-page letter continuing to distance itself from involvement with private equity. Patel provides some detail about the ownership structure of Lane Emergency Physicians LLC. ApolloMD will support the creation of the practice, but the practice itself will be owned by an Illinois physician. ApolloMD and its affiliates “have no role whatsoever in Lane’s governance, ownership decisions, or officer appointments,” the letter said.

March 12

Doctors, nurses, health care workers and community members rally on the sidewalks outside RiverBend, calling on the hospital to keep its emergency department doctors local.

March 18

Gov. Tina Kotek sends a letter to McGovern asking the hospital to delay the transition by 180 days beyond the planned July 1 start date. In another letter, eight state lawmakers, ask the hospital system and ApolloMD to submit transaction details to the Oregon Health Authority’s Health Care Market Oversight program, which reviews health care deals for public transparency and community impact. If regulators determine the transaction should have gone through a public notice process, it could face additional review.

March 20

Eugene Emergency Physicians sues PeaceHealth and ApolloMD, alleging that their business model violates the Oregon law that regulates the corporate practice of medicine. 

On the same day, PeaceHealth rebuffs Gov. Tina Kotek’s request to slow down its plans to transition to Atlanta-based contractor ApolloMD for emergency department staffing.

April 7

Eugene Emergency Physicians is asking a federal judge to block PeaceHealth’s plan to replace it with Atlanta-based ApolloMD as the staffing provider for emergency departments in Springfield, Cottage Grove and Florence.

The local physicians group first filed a complaint in Lane County Circuit Court on March 20. At the request of PeaceHealth’s attorneys, the complaint was refiled in the Eugene Division of the U.S. District Court of Oregon on April 6, and the plaintiffs filed a motion for a preliminary injunction Wednesday, April 8.

April 9

A day after medical staff at RiverBend discussed emails between Chief Hospital Executive Jim McGovern and physicians that contained exchanges over patient care, the administrator was placed on leave pending an investigation. The Medical Executive Committee at the hospital said it plans to file a complaint with the Oregon Medical Board about the interactions.

This timeline will be updated as necessary.