Patients beware

Dr. Eric Morton

I'm concerned about the state of health care in Southeast Missouri.

As a resident of this area for nearly 10 years, I think Southeast Missouri has some of the best health care in the U.S. for a town of its size. I have lived many places around the country, and I have been involved in the health care system since the early 1990s. Cape Girardeau's two hospital systems are what drove me back to this area, and I plan on staying here for the rest of my career.

However, I am concerned about the purchasing of physician practices by hospitals under the guise of insuring access to medical care throughout Southeast Missouri. This is a false impression. Health care in our area is not going to be improved by hospital-based practices. The independence of physicians will be severely restricted due to the requirements mandated by hospitals.

As an independent physician, I advocate for the health care of my patients. I can choose which specialist I need to refer them to and then make a decision based not upon hospital loyalty but upon where they will receive the best care.

The technology of both Cape Girardeau hospitals is evenly matched. The surgical services and all other services at the hospitals are equivalent to each other. There is not a tremendous difference between the two. The difference is physician preference. Currently, independent physicians can refer their patients to the specialist who he or she feels will give the patient the best care.

In the near future with hospital-based physicians, these physicians will be requested to send their patients to other hospital-employed physicians. This will limit the patient and doctor choice and subsequently not be good for patients.

Current hospital-based physicians have resisted this pressure from hospitals to some degree. However, in the near future hospitals will be more strict in this practice. This will limit choices for patients but improve the bottom line for hospitals.

Both Cape Girardeau hospitals are not-for-profit entities, but they are allowed by law to develop and reserve a profit for future projects. Therefore, hospitals are in a better position financially, can outspend physicians and can impinge on our practice independence. This has been done before in Springfield, Mo., and has failed miserably.

Health care in all parts of the country -- including Southeast Missouri -- is changing, and not always for the better. I urge the citizens of Southeast Missouri to choose their physicians wisely, and remember that the physicians and nurses of this area are your advocates for health care and should be making the best decisions for you and your family.

Dr. Eric Morton is a Cape Girardeau physician.