Ohio State to rethink neurology program as doctors depart

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ Ohio State University is reevaluating the financial position of its neurology department amid a rash of doctor departures.

The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1RVp0T0) nine Ohio State physicians have left a roughly 30-member faculty in the past year, four for competitor OhioHealth. The university has hired eight doctors in that time.

In a May 5 email the newspaper obtained, chairman John Kissel said the department faces “considerable and persistent monetary issues,” despite growing demand for neurological services. Kissel said a financial oversight committee would spend a month or two taking “a fresh look” at the enterprise.

OSU’s Wexner Medical Center described the effort as part of a larger medical center initiative to cut costs and improve efficiency.

OhioHealth has been hiring doctors for a $300 million neuroscience center opening next month.