Former ER doctor's words speak volumes

I finished reporting and writing a story yesterday on a new health clinic that opened this week in downtown Amarillo on the campus of Park Central Retirement Community.
It is a staffed by a former emergency room doctor at Northwest Texas Hospital, Dr. John Turner, whom I spoke with for the story.
He didn’t offer many kind words to his former employer.
Turner came to Amarillo and Northwest through EmCare, a Dallas-based company that works to staff emergency departments for hospitals. Northwest turned to EmCare after its group of ER doctors bolted for Baptist St. Anthony’s Hospital.
The move ruffled the feathers of Northwest brass and caused a stir in how Northwest staffs and runs its emergency room.
“They’re still dealing with their turmoil there,” Turner said very frankly.
Turner added physicians were promised things upon their arrival to Northwest that haven’t happened.
He said Northwest Chief Executive Kyle Sanders, who took control of the hospital this summer, has pinpointed Northwest’s ER as an area of improvement. Turner said Sanders has targeted certain ER doctors trying to force the physician’s hand.
“I was happy to leave,” Turner said.
Turner’s words point to at least one focus area for new Northwest boss Sanders; emergency care.
Sanders has also succeeded in ridding the hospital of an ambulance provider in his short tenure.
But if what Turner says is true, then Northwest is still feeling the effects of a move from its chief rival made nearly two years ago.