Doctors, Elgin council members frustrated with continued anesthesiologist shortage at Sherman

With the Advocate Sherman Hospital anesthesiologist shortage now in its third month, frustrated doctors and Elgin City Council members are voicing their concerns.

"Unfortunately, things are not good at Sherman Hospital, and it pains me greatly," said Dr. Michael Seigle, a surgeon who has practiced at Sherman for 33 years. "There simply isn't enough anesthesiologists to provide care for our patients."

Seigle's remarks came during last week's Elgin City Council meeting.

He said the hospital administration's recent characterization that patients at Sherman are receiving care is misleading, saying that patients can't schedule elective surgeries for things like knee operations, hip replacements or cataracts.

"We are still not able to schedule our patients routinely, and I don't know when it's going to improve," Seigle said.

Sherman President Sheri De Shazo said the hospital is back to doing about 50% of the number of surgeries it performed before switching providers, but the hospital won't meet or exceed its previous staffing levels until April.

De Shazo said the hospital has appointed Dr. Fritz-Jose Chandler as the medical director of the anesthesiology program.

The hospital has been without its full complement of 22 anesthesiologists since severing ties with its former provider during contract negotiations in late August. The hospital hired TeamHealth to be its new provider after dismissing United Anesthesia Associates, whose anesthesiologists had worked with the hospital for 30 years.

The transition to TeamHealth has gone slowly because the company must hire and license doctors to practice in Illinois.

"Change is never easy, but sometimes it is very necessary," De Shazo said. "Despite the challenges surrounding the change, we've upheld our commitment to provide safe, high-quality care to those in need, and we will continue to do so."

Dr. Walter Alm, an Elgin resident and 30-year staff member at Sherman's department of surgery and former chief of surgery, said that even when the hospital does restaff the anesthesia department, it will take a while to rebuild the confidence of doctors.

"There's a very personal relationship between surgeons and the anesthesiologist and the nurse anesthetists. They trust one another in lifesaving episodes," Alm said. "You've built that trust over years. That is gone."

Council member Steve Thoren, who was born at Sherman Hospital and "has always been a Sherman person," volunteers with Senior Services Associates in Elgin and said he's spoken with several longtime residents who used to go to Sherman but are now using Amita St. Joseph.

"The image that is now being portrayed in the community is going to be a challenge for you," Thoren said to De Shazo and other hospital administrators in attendance. "A lot of people are hearing it, and they're concerned."