NEW BEDFORD After serving Southcoast Health for three years, North American Partners in Anesthesia will not have its contract renewed, causing a stir among current and former health care workers.
In May 2018, NAPA replaced the former anesthesia group, Anesthesia Associates of Massachusetts, which is now disbanded. AAM s contract employees served Southcoast Health medical facilities for 20 years. Critics say NAPA made promises to President Keith Hovan that it didn t keep. Word had spread around the hospital that NAPA promised to cover all three of Southcoast Health s locations Tobey, St. Luke s, and Charlton for $1.8 million less than AAM while retaining 90% of existing staff. In total, the decision to switch from AAM to NAPA affected roughly 10 doctors and about 25 CRNAs at St. Luke s and a handful from Charlton. The Standard-Times was unable to access official contracts between Southcoast Hospitals and NAPA and AAM.