Tuesday, March 5, 2019, 3:24 pm News Flash Archive

Without any public acknowledgment at all, Dr. Douglas Bowden, one of Greenwood's two key general surgeons, quit the Greenwood Leflore Hospital on December 14th, and went to work for UMMC (University of Mississippi Medical Center) Grenada.

Bowden, a long-time member of the prestigious Lucas Surgical Group here in Greenwood, was frustrated with the Hospital Board's playing games with his contract. At first the Board refused to approve Bowden's new contract, and then insulted him by renewing the old contract for one year only.

Dr. Bowden was set to become the Chief of Staff in October, but a new election had to be held due to his move to Grenada.

And so, another excellent physician exited hospital practice in Greenwood, due to the Hospital Board's malign mismanagement and incompetence.

There was no mention of it at all in the Greenwood Commonwealth.

Dr. John F. Lucas III is now the only full-time general surgeon left on the medical staff at GLH.

Bowden is one of the latest doctors to be forced out. But in the past several years, doctors have been streaming out of the Greenwood Leflore Hospital, either because they were fired, or often because of the toxic environment in which they no longer desire to practice medicine.

The Taxpayers Channel has compiled a list of fourteen doctors who have recently left the Greenwood Leflore Hospital:

Dr. Srinivas Bhadriraju (pulmonology) - frustration with management
Dr. Douglas Bowden (general surgery) - Board misconduct
Dr. Joyce Bradshaw (pathology) - retired
Dr. Rockne Brubaker (otolaryngology - ENT) - frustration with management
Dr. Christopher Capel (vascular surgery) - fired
Dr. Michael Carter (otolaryngology - ENT) - retired
Dr. Daneca DiPaolo (orthopedics) - contract issues
Dr. James Hardin (urology) - fired
Dr. John Hey (sleep disorders)- fired
Dr. Walter Moses (internal medicine) - deceased
Dr. Bruce Newell (orthopedics) - fired
Dr. George Smith (gastroenterology) - fired
Dr. Samuel Sprehe (otolaryngology - ENT) - unknown
Dr. Thomas Weldon (urology) - Board misconduct

As The Taxpayers Channel has previously reported, five doctors have been fired by the Hospital with no reasons given. Dr. George Smith was the medical staff liaison, representing the doctors to the Hospital Board, when the Board fired him to shut him up.

Dr. John Hey, also a frequent critic of the hospital board's mismanagement, was also fired right after he had secured renewal of the sleep clinic's national accreditation, which he had founded in 1995.

Dr. James Hardin was fired just last month. Drs. Bruce Newell and Christopher Capel were fired just over two years ago. See our previous coverage:
Hospital Fired Five Doctors in Recent Years
Hospital Fires Beloved Long-time Doctor

Dr. S. Bhadriraju, affectionately known as "Dr. B" to patients and colleagues alike, left due to frustration with the mismanagement of the clinics and lack of proper planning of medical resources. Dr. B gave as his parting warning, "no vision, no leadership!"

When long-time ear-nose-and-throat Dr. Michael Carter retired at the end of 2018 (again, with no acknowledgement in the local press), that left Greenwood with no local ENT coverage. Previously, Dr. Samuel Sprehe and Dr. Rockne Brubaker, who were meant to take over Dr. Carter's ENT practice upon his retirement, had themselves already left, Dr. Brubaker particularly due to clashes with hospital clinic administration.

Dr. Daneca DiPaolo, who is a highly skilled orthopedic surgeon, got a far better contract at UMMC Grenada and abruptly departed thence in Spring 2018.

Dr. Thomas Weldon grew frustrated with the Hospital Board when it refused to renew his contract without a cut in pay. He was recruited by DRMC in Greenville with a substantial pay increase, and finally accepted an even better paying agreement at UMMC Grenada.

Doctors are streaming out of the Greenwood Leflore Hospital, in large part due to frustration at the toxic environment brought on by the Hospital Board's intransigence and refusal to include physicians in the decision-making process.

And the word has gotten around all over the state - Greenwood Leflore Hospital is not a friendly place for the practice of medicine any more.

For complete coverage of these and other hospital milestones, please go here: Taxpayers Channel coverage of Greenwood Leflore Hospital's downfall.

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

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