Samaritan adds testing to physician substance abuse policy

MOSES LAKE — Physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners working at or with admitting privileges at Samaritan Healthcare of Moses Lake will be subject to random testing for substance abuse. Samaritan commissioners approved a change in the substance abuse policy at their regular meeting Sept. 29.

Cecilia Tydestam, chief of the medical staff, said all medical staff policies have been under review, and the review committee had been working on the substance abuse policy for about a year. Chief medical officer Andrea Carter said the policy also needed to reflect the legalization of marijuana in Washington.

While marijuana is legal in Washington, the policy makes clear that marijuana use isn’t allowed while doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners are working, Carter said.

The medical staff was asked about, and agreed to, the implementation of random testing, Carter said. Samaritan’s chief executive officer, Theresa Sullivan, said the tests will be conducted by an outside company. That way Samaritan officials are not involved in the testing process in any way, Sullivan said.

The medical review officer (MRO), who works for the outside company, will determine who is tested. If there’s a positive test, the MRO will contact the subject, and the case will be turned over to the medical staff’s governing body, the medical executive committee.

Once during his or her employment a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner could disclose use of substances before a test. In that case the medical professional would be referred to the Practitioner Health and Professionalism committee. But that could only happen once.

According to the policy, a positive test where the medical provider didn’t disclose the use in advance would result in a request to stop taking care of patients immediately.

If a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner is allowed to return to work after a positive test, he or she will be required to submit to frequent random testing for a year. Periodic random tests would be required for another four years.

The medical professional also would have the option to ask for a second test but would have to pay for it, Carter said.

The first step after a positive test would be a review by the medical executive committee, Carter said, as well as the hospital’s chief executive officer. They have a range of options when responding, including termination.