Letting the flight attendants fly the plane (again)

I got called into a special meeting. One of our outside hospitals had filled a complaint against one of our pulmonologists. The complaint was that an older gentleman had presented to their ED with pneumonia. When the NP tried to call and arrange transfer, the pulmonolgist at the medical center where she wanted to transfter the patient to told them that he would only take a call from a physician and would not accept any transfer from a NP. This caused the NP to get riled up and file the complaint. After all, she was a ARNP, PhD., The pulmonolgist explained that he was tired of being responsible for people who dont know what they are doing and then having patients show up with totally different things than what he was told. He used other language like idiots and imbeciles. Anyway, I tracked down the patient. When the NP had left after her shift, the patient was indeed transferred, but it was to CCU. He didnt have pneumonia, he was in cardiogenic shock, what she though she saw on the chest xray as pneumonia was CHF.

I made sure that she got a copy of my findings and a copy of our new policy that transfers will only be made between physicians. I made sure that her hospital medical director and CEO got copies as well.