“We are currently in a position right now, a crisis at the hospital, where we don’t know if we’re going to have anesthesia services in three weeks, which stops all surgeries,” B. Monte Stewart, MD, a general surgeon in the area, told Ashland City Council members during a public forum Aug. 6. “We’ve had a major reduction in orthopedic capabilities. We don’t have an (intensive care unit). It is currently impossible to recruit.”
The hospital is down to two anesthesia providers, and the hospital is trying to bring in temporary providers but does not have a permanent fix, according to Dr. Stewart’s testimony.
“I really feel like we’ve got kind of a crisis, and the tip of it is here locally,” he said. He also noted that the anesthesia shortage is prevalent throughout the state.
