Board Backs Leadership in Clash with CHI St. Alexius Doctors

In a statement, the directors said they 'fully support the leadership' following a mass resignation by members of the medical executive committee.

The board of directors for CHI St. Alexius Health emerged with a message Thursday from a closed-door meeting, amid a revolt by the organization's medical executive committee.

Thirteen committee members had resigned earlier in the week in protest of the organization's regional management, calling for the ouster of four divisional leaders by name. The mass resignation left just four physicians on the committee, according to a system spokesperson.

Related: CHI St. Alexius Board Meets Amid Doctors' Revolt

Regardless, the board released a post-meeting statement backing the current slate of administrators.

"We fully support the leadership of CHI St. Alexius Health as it continues to provide quality care and a viable health care facility for the future," the board said.

• Problem solvers: To settle on a course of action moving forward, in light of the concerns raised, the board created a nine-member working subcommittee with representatives from the board, the medical executive committee, and the CHI administration, according to the board's statement.
   
• Expression of gratitude: The board's statement acknowledged that "some members" of the medical executive committee had resigned, without indicating how many left or remained. "We respect their decision and thank them for their service," the statement said.
   
• Functions continue: The statement emphasized that the physicians who resigned from the committee continue to treat patients and that the committee "continues to function with the prior members who did not resign." The remaining members will work to replace their colleagues who resigned, the statement said.
   
• Keep the geography in mind: The doctors who resigned had sought to have the division office moved about 200 miles, from its current location in Fargo to Bismarck, where CHI St. Alexius Health operates. "We need administrators and physicians working side by side, as a team," they wrote.

Below is the full statement released by the CHI St. Alexius Health board of directors:

"We have created a nine-person working subcommittee that will be comprised of members of the Board of Directors, members of the Medical Executive Committee and CHI administration to engage in dialogue to work through the issues before us and determine next steps.  We fully support the leadership of CHI St. Alexius Health as it continues to provide quality care and a viable health care facility for the future. 

"We acknowledge that some members of the Medical Executive Committee resigned from the committee earlier this week.  We respect their decision and thank them for their service.  Importantly, we want the community to know that these physicians continue to treat patients at CHI St. Alexius Health.  The Medical Executive Committee continues to function with the prior members who did not resign.  The remaining MEC members will identify additional physicians to serve as department chairs and section chiefs to replace those physicians who have resigned.

"We know that transitions present challenges but working together we will continue our work for a strong future as we meet the needs of our patients and the community in a rapidly changing environment while our hard working, caring and dedicated staff and employees continue to provide quality care to our patients."