PORT ANGELES – Primary care clinic physicians moved from “optimistic” to “confident” about a contract with Olympic Medical Center on Wednesday.
“I think we’re close to a handshake deal,” said Dr. Larry Gordon, a spokesman for the nine doctors at Olympic Medical Physicians Primary Care Clinic.
Gordon said he and Dr. Bill Kintner, who also negotiated with the hospital, would review details of the tentative agreement over the weekend and discuss line items with OMC on Monday.
An agreement will end a stalemate that has lasted nearly three months.
“The hospital and the doctors have come to an agreement on the economic issues,” Gordon said Wednesday.
“We think the contract is equitable for the physicians and for the hospital.”
Kintner said some contract language remains to be resolved.
Nonetheless, he and Gordon said they expect doctors will sign contracts by the end of this month.
Rhonda Curry, speaking for hospital Chief Executive Officer Eric Lewis and Dr. Scott Kennedy, chief medical officer, said, “Things are really moving forward. They’re drilling down on a lot of details.”
The impasse had its roots in last year’s crisis caused when Virginia Mason Medical Center of Seattle decided to pull out of its satellite clinic at 433 E. Eighth St.
Virginia Mason claimed it had lost $10 million in the decade since it purchased the facility from its then-independent physicians.
