Oxford Pediatric, Baptist split ties

Published 10:51 am Friday, November 17, 2017

The Oxford Pediatric Group announced it would no longer provide services at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi on its Facebook page Tuesday.

“After much discussion and negotiation with Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, as of November 25, we will no longer be providing hospital-based services,” the post read.

Those services include nursery, in-patient care and emergency room services.

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The post stated OPG will continue to increase its outpatient availability for sick and well visits; pursue excellence in comprehensive preventative well-child care; provide the best and most knowledgeable care; provide after-hour nurse and doctor triage availability; and work with regional children’s hospital facilities.

“We will no longer be seeing patients in the hospital, but we will continue seeing them in the clinic. If a patient needs to be admitted to the hospital, we will continue to work with our regional hospitals as needed,” the group posted in response to questions on the original Facebook post.

The next day, Baptist posted about the split on its own Facebook page.

“North Mississippi will continue to provide complete pediatric coverage for Oxford and the surrounding communities, including newborn care, inpatient care, and in the emergency room. There are several local pediatricians who remain as full-time, active members of our medical staff. They include Dr. Joe Harris at Children’s Clinic of Oxford, and Dr. Tanya Fitts and Dr. Catherine Phillips with Lafayette Pediatric Clinic. These providers are available to admit all children from the ER, directly admit their patients to the hospital and care for newborns delivered at Baptist North Mississippi.”

The Oxford Pediatric Group and officials from Baptist have been unavailable for comment.

This is a developing story. Read the EAGLE at www.oxfordeagle.com for updates.