Sentara has chosen not to renew the contracts of Dr Ruiz, Dr Carter, and Dr Jenkins, longtime surgeons at Albemarle Hospital with excellent surgical credentials. They will be gone by 10/01/15, including no longer seeing their patients at Regional here on the Outer Banks. Big loss for the Outer Banks and Northeastern North Carolina! Certainly does not seem Sentara has the health care of the people of this area as their primary goal.

Welcome to corporate medicine. I would bet they attempted to "buy" the practice and the docs would not sell. We've seen it in our area with the rise of Wellspan. While this can bring needed services to the area it also spells the demise of "local docs" and services that are not deemed profitable or too expensive to continue.

Follow the money.....

Follow the money.....

My latest understanding is that the surgeons still own their office in front of Sentara Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, but since Sentara wont let them operate at Albemarle any longer, they will be scheduling
their patients for surgery in Chesapeake and then follow them up in their office in Elizabeth City. Sentara is playing games which will result in harm to Elizabeth City patients. Sentara should be ashamed of this situation they have created and rectify it in the name of patient care! Shame on Sentara!!!

This is not the first time. There was a "purge" 2 or 3 years ago. I knew a couple friends who were let go. One a CRNA and one a management type (Nurse Prac).

Sentara took over Dr. Adami's Cardiology Practice in KH,next to the Medical Center. I think they are more concerned with paperwork and on line records than time with the patient. I used to have a yearly cardiogram, last visit I had to ask for one. I don't like whoever is in there now. I believe they only have a part time Doctor.

There are some very big changes coming to Albemarle hospital and they will all deal with money, there are going to be MANY people who are going to be very unhappy..

Can only imagine how distressing this he to be. Is there any recourse?

My latest understanding is that Dr Reichenbach, the last general surgeon they had, is leaving as well. This will leave them with NO general surgeons to perform surgeries such as appendectomies, gallbladders, hernias etc. I would say through their own doing, Sentara Albemarle hospital has put themselves in a real bind.I imagine it will be quite difficult to attract 4 surgeons at once to relocate and move their practice and family to Elizabeth City. This will be a set back for the people of North Eastern North Carolina for many years to come.