Detroit Medical Center orthopedic surgeons asks administration to reinstate former department chair Dr. Khalid Saleh: 5 things to know

Practice Management

Tenet decided against renewing the contract of Khalid Saleh, MD, an orthopedic surgeon the hospital chain hired to lead the Detroit Medical Center department of orthopedics 16 months ago, and now the remaining surgeons are rallying around him for reinstatement, according to Crain's Detroit Business.

 

Here are five things to know:

 

1. Tenet Heathcare hired Dr. Saleh as Detroit Medical Center's chief of orthopedics in June 2016. He was responsible for improving efficiency, quality and productivity in the orthopedic surgery department. The hospital also asked him to improve the teaching program as well as increase his own surgical volume, according to the report.

 

2. While at the helm of DMC's orthopedics department, Dr. Saleh hired or recruited nearly 10 orthopedic surgeons to fill care gaps in hand, ankle and spine specialties, among others. The department grew to more than 30 surgeons and 26 signed a letter dated Oct. 10 in favor of his reinstatement.

 

His efforts with the training program also showed success, as medical licensing testing scores improved from 76 percent to 100 percent pass rate.

 

3. Crain's reported DMC declined to renew Dr. Saleh's contract, which led to his departure from the hospital, but did not provide further information. Bryan Little, MD, was named interim department head after Dr. Saleh's departure.

 

4. In the letter to Tenet's President of Hospital Operations Eric Evans and DMC's Board of Trustees President John Levy, DMC's remaining orthopedic surgeons asked for more information about Dr. Saleh's departure and expressed surprise in the move.

 

"Since his arrival, things have changed only for the better for our patients, our physicians and our residents. If there was a credible reason for Dr. Saleh's termination, we have yet to hear it," the letter states.

 

The letter also hints at rumors surrounding the departure, which are creating "resentment and discontent."

 

5. Tenet and DMC declined to provide official statements for the coverage, but Crain's reported Dr. Saleh did not increase his personal surgical volume based on his contract and "became a casualty of the ongoing cost-cutting at the DMC."

 

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