A year after nine neurosurgeons and a top plastic surgeon resigned from Children's Hospital, interim neurosurgeons will be leaving the organization in March.
6 News reports the organization said interim pediatric neurosurgeons will be leaving and there are not enough qualified temporary neurosurgeons to fill the gaps.
That means emergency neurosurgical cases will be referred to Nebraska Medicine until Children’s can bring new pediatric neurosurgeons on board.
6 News reports that hospital leadership believes the change will impact 40 patients a month and that it's hard to find pediatric brain surgeons. They are aggressively recruiting replacements.
Last year, nine neurosurgeons and a plastic surgeon left Children’s. Dr. Mark Puccioni, a pediatric neurosurgeon and Dr. Jason Miller, a plastic surgeon, filed a lawsuit against Children's and its president. In the complaint they alleged retaliation after bringing their concerns to the CEO about the skills of another surgeon.
At the time Children's Hospital representatives said they could not comment on personnel matters but stood by leadership and medical teams while strongly disagreeing with the allegations.
In the note to medical staff obtained by 6 News, Children's said safety is a top priority and having intermittent pediatric neurosurgical coverage instead of delivering around the clock coverage is not safe or sustainable.
Staff is being told to forward emergency neurological cases to Nebraska Medicine, Boys Town, the Iowa Clinic in Des Moines or Children's Mercy in Kansas City.
New neurological patients will not be accepted beginning in March.