Cardiology Contraction Continues

Health care reform continues to affect cardiologists through bankrupcy, hospital turf wars, and burnout:

The ER also is on track to lose on-call cardiology coverage at the end of August, when Dr. Marvin Mills will stop taking calls around the clock.

Mills, who will continue to care for all his own patients, has been the hospital’s sole on-call cardiologist since Diagnostic Cardiology Group left the hospital in October. He declined to comment.

“Being the only on-call cardiologist for the length of time he has is a substantial burden,” Perlaky said. “Many times I’ve called him in the middle of the night because there’s been a patient with chest pains and he’s always been cordial, gracious and willing to help. It’s not like he’s abandoning us; he’s paid his dues.”

Decreased patient access to cardiologists is becoming more common, especially in rural communities.

-Wes