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Eugene emergency physicians urge state review after Apollo MD awarded PeaceHealth contract
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Summary
At a March 5 Senate committee hearing, physicians from Eugene Emergency Physicians told senators that PeaceHealth’s award of an emergency‑physician contract to Apollo MD could erode local surge capacity and patient access; they urged state transparency and use of SB 951 protections.
Dr. Julie Seo, a board‑certified emergency medicine physician with Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP), told the Senate Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs Committee on March 5 that the independent, physician‑owned group has staffed the region for 35 years and serves as "Lane County's safety net and front line of public health and disaster response." Dr. Jeremy Brown, also with EEP, joined her in asking the legislature to scrutinize a recent staffing contract award.
The witnesses said PeaceHealth closed its University District Emergency Department in Eugene (noted in testimony as closing 12/01/2025), after which Riverbend Hospital reported rising strain and longer wait times. They said PeaceHealth opened an RFP for emergency staffing and on 02/04/2026 awarded the contract to Apollo MD, a national staffing company that EEP and several professional groups say has limited local ties.
EEP described its group as 41 locally based clinicians (32 board‑certified emergency physicians and 9 physician assistants) who use a W‑2 employment model and have averaged nine years of retention; they said they have covered roughly 150,000 shifts across local sites and that Riverbend now handles about 85,000 annual ED visits. All 41 EEP providers signed a statement of no interest in employment or engagement with Apollo MD for at least 90 days after 06/30/2026, the witnesses said, and they published an open letter urging preservation of local physician governance.
The physicians and letters read into the record cited concerns about corporate consolidation in emergency medicine and invoked Oregon Senate Bill 951 (passed in 2025), which they said reflects the legislature’s concern that corporate structures can affect patient access and outcomes. The witnesses pointed to publicly available records they said link Apollo MD to private equity funding (Valor Bridge) and noted Apollo MD’s creation of a Georgia‑registered company called Lane Emergency Physicians, raising questions about management, transparency and compliance with Oregon’s corporate practice rules.
Senators reacted with concern. Chair Senator Manning said he would "engage the Oregon Health Authority" and explore legal options, and asked whether the transaction could be slowed to allow review. Senator Lisa Reynolds described the situation as "terrifying" for patients and clinicians and pressed on what levers the legislature has to respond. Senator Floyd Posansky said the committee has contacted the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Justice to inquire about their authority to review the transaction.
The witnesses and some senators cautioned that the risks they described — reduced surge capacity, more reliance on rotating or temporary staff, potential increases in ED mortality and loss of local governance — could affect emergency response in mass‑casualty or rural‑access situations. The hearing closed without a vote; senators said follow‑up inquiries with OHA and DOJ are underway.
Next steps: Senators said they will continue consultations with OHA and DOJ and consider whether statutory or administrative steps are available to ensure transparency and continuity of emergency care in Lane County.
