These ER Docs Are Being Ousted After 35 Years. They're Not Going Quietly.

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Source: MedPage Today

Original: https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/features/120167...

Published: Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:43:48 -0500

Oregon's PeaceHealth Hospital System ended a 35-year contract with the local Eugene Emergency Physicians group and replaced it with Atlanta-based ApolloMD.[1][2] The transition will begin on June 1, 2026 at Peace Harbor and Cottage Grove hospitals and on July 1, 2026 at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.[2] PeaceHealth justifies the decision as the need to increase emergency department capacity and handle increasing patient volume and medical complexity.[2] All 41 professionals at Eugene Emergency Physicians signed an agreement not to work for ApolloMD for at least 90 days after their contract with PeaceHealth ended.[5] The decision sparked strong opposition—60 PeaceHealth doctors and nurses signed a letter in support of Eugene Emergency Physicians and against the change.[1] Doctors at Eugene Emergency Physicians have expressed a willingness to continue practicing in the community, but under a local banner, not ApolloMD.[5]