Oregon Hospital Renews Contract with Local ER Doctors Group Before Court Ruling

A hospital system in Oregon renewed its contract with Eugene Emergency Physicians after the group of more than 40 doctors and physician assistants challenged a planned replacement by the national staffing firm ApolloMD. The renewal occurred before any court ruling in the case. Dr.

Dan McGee, a physician with Eugene Emergency Physicians, appeared in an Oregon courtroom between emergency room shifts to contest the change. Lawyers for the group argued that ApolloMD violated the state's 2025 law, which bans corporations from controlling the operations and finances of medical practices. ApolloMD's CEO, Dr.

Yogin Patel, stated that the company does not infringe on the way its doctors practice. Dr. Jonas Pologe, another physician with the local group, said there is a chance that pushing back on ApolloMD decisions could result in reduced work hours.

The American Academy of Emergency Medicine supported Eugene Emergency Physicians in the case. Its president, Dr. Vicki Norton, stated that Oregon has the strongest corporate practice of medicine law in the country.

California and Vermont have passed similar legislation. Lawmakers in Rhode Island and New Mexico are considering related bills, and an independent group of ER doctors in Virginia is meeting with state legislators to seek changes to their laws. Envision Healthcare, TeamHealth, and USACS each declined to answer questions about whether the Oregon case or the 2025 law changed their investment outlook in the state.

Opponents of the legislation had warned lawmakers that many physician groups depend on outside investment to survive.