Corewell Health West Denies Using ER Doctors As Anesthesiologists

The Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists claims Corewell Health West hospitals are removing anesthesiologists from surgeries and replacing them with emergency medicine or intensive care doctors.  Corewell Health West denies this claim.

This is a consequence of the contract dispute between West Michigan Anesthesia and Corewell Health.  Their contract was terminated in September when Corewell claimed WMA was not providing sufficient staffing to support surgical schedules. Corewell stated the scant staffing forced rescheduling of some surgeries.  In June, Corewell began recruiting and hiring an alternate anesthesia team:

https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/group-says-corewell-health-is-assigning-er-doctors-to-anesthesia/

Corewell says it is not using ER doctors for anesthesia
By Catie Lightfoot - September 17, 2025

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Corewell Health West denied a claim by the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists that its hospitals are removing anesthesiologists from surgeries and replacing them with emergency medicine or intensive care doctors.

“Corewell Health West is not using emergency physicians and intensivists to replace anesthesiologists in surgery,” the hospital system wrote in a statement to News 8.

Earlier Wednesday, Corewell would not say outright whether it is using ER doctors to administer anesthesia.

“I don’t know if they’re the only hospital doing it. It’s certainly the one that we’ve become most recently aware of it through the outreach of our members,” MSA President-elect Dr. Matt Dellaquila said.

MSA has launched a media campaign, including a billboard on US-131 in Kent County, urging patients to ask questions about the medical professionals administering their anesthesia.

“You as a patient or you as an advocate for a patient or family member need to advocate for making sure you know who is delivering your care. Is your care being delivered by a board-certified anesthesiologist operating in a care model with a (certified registered nurse anesthetist), or is it someone without those credentials? And patients need to be asking those questions,” Dellaquila said. “It’s about transparency and truth for patients.”

This comes after Corewell Health West said West Michigan Anesthesiologists ended its contract with the hospital system. It ran out Sept. 2.

“I think from a hospital’s perspective, the only the only short-term benefit would appear to be filling a staffing gap more quickly, but the reality is that patients are billed the same whether or not a physician anesthesiologist is involved,” clinical anesthesiologist Dr. David Salama said.

WMA says contract discussions have stopped for now, but that it is open to further negotiations.

“There has been no reach out from Corewell Health to further talk and how to work together and take care of the community. We are open to serve the community but as of now, there is no contract,” WMA President Dr. Kathryn Wladischkin said.

Corewell Health West said in a statement to News 8 it is now on an employee-based model for anesthesia care.

“We transitioned to an employed model of anesthesia services at Corewell Health West after the previous provider of anesthesia services terminated their contract. We are exclusively utilizing board eligible/certified anesthesiologists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Certified Anesthesiology Assistants in a physician led anesthesia department to provide anesthesia for surgeries at Corewell Health just as we historically have,” the health care system wrote.

“Many physicians are residency trained to provide sedation and perform sedations for certain procedures in our hospitals. However, we exclusively use anesthesiology providers for surgery and obstetrical departments.”