SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — After the sudden departure of most of South County Hospital’s oncology department in Rhode Island, cancer patients are now scrambling to find care elsewhere.
Rick Armstrong, a lymphoma patient, is among those searching for new treatment options.
Armstrong, who was diagnosed earlier this year, began his treatment in Boston but had been receiving radiation therapy and follow-up care at South County Hospital, closer to his home in Narragansett.
However, Armstrong was blindsided last week when he learned through a NewsNation affiliate WPRI report that most of the hospital’s oncology doctors would be leaving.
“There was no notification from anybody,” he told WPRI.
Armstrong finished radiation just as the changes were happening.
“I was assuming that my doctor would be there for a long period of time and able to continue the follow-up,” he explained. “Now I’m just trying to figure out if he’s going to be available to follow my care or if I’m going to have to find a new doctor.”
Armstrong said the shortage of health care providers in Rhode Island already makes it hard to find care, and the loss of oncologists will only add to the challenge.
“It’s very difficult. It’s sort of how I started with trying to find care in Rhode Island. It’s not easy to do. There’s longer waits for doctors because there aren’t as many,” he said.
Last Wednesday, a group of doctors, nurses, and community members sent an open letter to South County Hospital’s Board of Trustees and state officials, calling for leadership changes at the hospital.
According to WPRI interviews with staff and community members, the letter follows months of tension between hospital staff and administrators.
“It’s sad that they felt that they needed to go somewhere else and that they leave the people in this type of situation,” Armstrong added.
Meanwhile, CEO Aaron Robinson, who was targeted in the letter, defended his record in an interview with WPRI last week. He pointed to the oncology doctors leaving, saying there was a disagreement over what to do with the department. Robinson said the doctors wanted to merge with a Florida-based for-profit company, but executives determined it wasn’t a good fit for the nonprofit health system.
“They can say it’s a style issue,” Robinson said. “But at the end of the day, I think it’s more that people don’t like to hear ‘no,’ and we have to say ‘no,’ sometimes.”
Board of Trustees Chairman Joseph Matthews stood by his CEO, saying Robinson is the right person to usher the hospital through tough financial times, and he likewise blamed state policy for causing financial hardship at hospitals in Rhode Island.
In a statement to WPRI, a spokesperson for South County Health — the hospital’s parent organization — explained that the resignations were “not something the providers or South County Health wanted to occur.”
“We understand the community’s concerns and the impact of losing a provider can have on patients,” the spokesperson wrote. “In maintaining open and honest communication with our community, we have sent out two separate communications, both via email and mailed letters. These communications have been confirmed to be sent to all Cancer Center patients who have had an appointment with us in the last year, and those who are scheduled within the next year, to provide additional details on the resignations and our commitment to providing comprehensive cancer care for the community.”
In addition, the spokesperson said three new providers have been hired and will start in October.