CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A decision to phase out the Emergency Medicine Residency program at Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline has packed public meetings.
6 Investigates obtained and validated the legitimacy of, an audio recording from a closed-door meeting held last week between Christus Spohn CEO Dominic Dominguez and emergency room staff, announcing the program closure.
"This is like an institutional crippling, it's a death penalty. That's what this is," a staff member said.
"You'll look back and you know from a financial point of view, from a quality point of view, and say this was absolutely the biggest mistake of your career," another said.
In the just over one hour recording, several healthcare workers list concerns over the decision to discontinue the program and disappointment in not being consulted.
"I think we could have come up with a creative solution," a staff member said.
They say the decision to terminate the program was sudden and lacked transparency.
"My biggest disappointment is that I didn't have transparency from the leadership. I have been there. I'm always there. I am present. I was available and nobody talked to me," a staff member said.
"Without us here, this is not a place I would be comfortable sending my family," another said.
"You have the most innovative and motivated group of physicians that have been here the longest and the most steady within your entire hospital system at this table. And that won't mean anymore. And that's a tragedy," another said.
On Thursday, Nueces County Judge Connie Scott formed a committee to determine how shutting down the program will impact the community.
Dominguez said he is reconsidering Spohn's participation in the committee because of the recording, adding there is nothing from the meeting he is concerned with.
"I am concerned that next meeting we have to go to we're going to have to take out our phones because we can't trust each other," Dominguez told commissioners.
Commissioner Brent Chesney pushed back, saying Dominguez had given him and Commissioner John Marez his word that Spohn would participate.
On Thursday, 6 Investigates sent a list of questions to Christus Spohn. A spokesperson did not answer those questions but instead said that Dominguez would address these questions during commissioner's court.
However, the specific questions asked by KRIS 6 News remain unanswered.
