An attorney for the former chief of anesthesiology at Auburn Community Hospital says his client was fired after requesting an investigation into a surgeon’s conduct and patient safety concerns.
Langston McFadden, who is representing Dr. Xi Yang, told The Citizen that his client was informed by several of his staff members in July that the surgeon, whose name was not released, left the surgical area while patients were under anesthesia to meet with other patients in their clinical practice.
The surgeon may have been billing for both the surgical procedures and the patient appointments, which McFadden says is a violation of federal and state billing guidelines. He also said the surgeon’s actions violate patient health and safety regulations.
Yang, according to McFadden, mentioned the concerns to Auburn Community Hospital’s administration and asked for an investigation. Shortly after Yang’s request, the hospital fired him effective Nov. 8.
McFadden told The Citizen no reason was given for Yang’s termination.
“In fact, they actually advised him that it wasn’t because of any wrongdoing by him and that he had performed his duties in a satisfactory manner, but this was a decision that was being made,” McFadden said.
Auburn Community Hospital said in a statement that it “values privacy and professionalism for both patients and staff” and does not disclose information about employment matters.
“Our decisions are guided by what’s best for our patients and our continued commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care close to home,” the hospital’s statement continued. “Our surgical teams are fully staffed, and all procedures are continuing as scheduled with no impact on patient care.”
When Yang learned of the decision to terminate his contract, McFadden said it followed a meeting between hospital administrators and the surgeon. The surgeon reportedly gave the administration an ultimatum: either Yang goes or the surgeon would leave.
McFadden explained Yang owned an anesthesiology practice that “became a captive entity of the hospital” due to his contract. Not only is Yang being terminated, his attorney said, but he is also being required to sign over his ownership shares of the practice to the hospital.
Yang has not yet filed a lawsuit against the hospital, but McFadden said he has filed a whistleblower complaint with the state Department of Labor and intends to file a federal complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
McFadden also confirmed that several of Yang’s staff members resigned from the hospital in protest. The exact number is not known, but it’s close to 10 employees who submitted their letters of resignation after Yang was terminated by the hospital.
“From our perspective, the hospital certainly has some questions to answer here considering Dr. Yang’s prior service, his history of performing not just adequately but exemplary, and then this abrupt termination after raising these safety concerns,” McFadden said. “It does warrant an explanation from the hospital because first and foremost has to be the health and safety of all the patients that Auburn Community Hospital sees.”
Until Yang’s termination, internet archives show he was listed as the chief of anesthesiology on Auburn Community Hospital’s website. His name is no longer on that page, and he is not listed in the hospital’s physician directory.
Government reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on X @RobertHarding.
Love
0
Funny
0
Wow
0
Sad
0
Angry
0
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Robert Harding
Online producer/politics reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today