Decision to terminate pact with 28 hospitalists effective February 2027 comes weeks after reported contract termination for nine NICU doctors and Asante confirming changes planned in July 2026 for neonatology program
By Buffy Pollock, Rogue Valley Times
In the second of two significant contract terminations in recent weeks, Asante officials have reportedly decided to part ways with a group of more than two dozen doctors providing in-patient care for adult patients at Rogue Regional Medical Center for nearly a quarter of a century. The effective date is early 2027, according to information provided to the Rogue Valley Times.
Southern Oregon Hospitalists confirmed to the Times this past week that it was notified by Asante officials via letter correspondence, dated Feb. 5, that the health care provider had decided to terminate its contract with the practice.
A hospitalist is an internal medicine or family medicine-trained physician who treats adults for a variety of disease processes and illnesses, exclusively in a hospital setting, according to the practice website. Southern Oregon Hospitalists, which is housed in the lower level of the Medford hospital, was launched in 2003 for the sole purpose of providing in-patient care to hospitalized adults.
When contacted by the Times, the group declined to discuss the specifics of the contract or offer a reaction to the loss of the long-term contract but confirmed contract termination and said members would cease to work inside the hospital effective 365 days from the written notice Feb. 5, or in early February 2027.
The group of more than two dozen doctors offered the following statement: “Southern Oregon Hospitalists, the largest hospitalist group in Southern Oregon, is proud of the patient care they have provided to the community as the exclusive hospitalist group at RRMC for over 20 years.”
Asante officials declined to comment when contacted by the Times on several occasions this past week.
Termination of the hospitalists’ contract came just seven days after a Jan. 29 staff meeting in which dozens of employees were reportedly notified that Asante officials had terminated the contract with nine neonatology doctors for the Medford hospital NICU.
The Times first reported that story after being informed of the move by representatives for the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). ONA officials said they were contacted by at least a dozen nurses and other hospital staff who were “deeply alarmed” by the pending loss of “all providers at the region’s only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).”
Asante officials at the time disputed the claim in response to a request for comment by the Times. Asante spokesperson Desirae Myers said in an email that all nine doctors remained employed by the health system and were not fired “immediately,” as was alleged by ONA.
Myers also emailed the Times to say that the NICU was not closing — which had not been alleged by ONA — and she said that the healthcare provider was “exploring clinical partnerships with academic institutions and other regional providers to elevate and expand our neonatology program starting July 2026. Until new plans are in place this summer, current staffing is expected to remain the same.”
Doctors who spoke to the Times confirmed that the neonatology program contract termination was final but that physicians would continue in their role for at least 90 days or until July 2026. Myers at the time declined to clarify when asked a follow-up question from the Times whether future staffing would involve the nine doctors listed on the hospital website or whether they were being replaced with different providers.
According to the hospital website, the RRMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit lists nine neonatologist providers and serves nine hospitals throughout the greater region.
An online search this past week found a neonatology locums (temporary) position seeking neonatology providers at a Southern Oregon hospital, 10 minutes from the Medford airport, with a level 3 NICU and level 2 trauma center. While the ad does not disclose that the position is for Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, the Medford hospital is the only one in the region meeting that criteria.
The ad for the position says the role is for the duration of April through December 2026. Asante officials responded to a request for confirmation on the termination of the hospitalists, and additional information regarding NICU staffing, by informing the Times this past week that they would not be responding to further inquiries by the newspaper due to “reckless actions” in reporting on the NICU contract termination.
Asante officials have provided limited information over the past year despite news reports and concerns raised by employees publicly that indicate increasing tensions over personnel cuts and other impactful decisions. The health care provider has been under fire over the past two years with issues ranging from former nurse Dani Mari Schofield’s alleged diversion of liquid fentanyl, which prompted dozens of civil lawsuits against the hospital, and an ever-changing lineup of top hospital officials.
Asante announced plans in December to convert Asante Ashland Community Hospital and Birthing Center into a satellite of Rogue Regional Medical Center this spring. Public outcry ensued, with community members pointing to a 2013 agreement with the city of Ashland that indicated the facility would remain open as a community hospital through 2028.
Additional concerns were raised in recent weeks when nursing staff reported that Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford temporarily shut down its intermediate care unit twice in December after ONA officials claimed Asante created a staffing shortage, which was reported by the Times, by requiring staff to sign away rights to overtime or incentive pay when taking on extra shifts. Myers at the time called the allegations “unfounded and inaccurate accusations.”
Meanwhile, Forbes recently named Rogue Regional Medical Center and Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass to its Top Hospitals 2026 list, Asante officials announced in a news release earlier this month.
Provided an opportunity to comment on termination of the contract with the hospitalists group, Asante officials did not respond to an email sent by the Times on Tuesday, Feb. 10, or again on Friday.
Asante is the largest health care provider and employer in nine counties in Southern Oregon and Northern California, providing medical care to 600,000 people throughout the region, its website states.
This includes:
- Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford: a tertiary regional referral and level II trauma center. Expertise includes heart, vascular and stroke care; women and children’s services; cancer care; orthopedics; and gastroenterology services.
- Asante Ashland Community Hospital: a 49-bed community hospital that features a birthing center; surgery center; diagnostic imaging; a laboratory; respiratory testing; and surgery.
- Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass: a full-service community hospital recognized for surgical services; outpatient surgery; cancer care; women’s health and childbirth services.
- Asante Physician Partners: includes 366 primary and specialty physicians and advanced practice providers throughout Jackson and Josephine counties.
Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 458-488-2029 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.
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