The Boston Globe exposes healthcare “road rage”:

North Shore is part of an emerging effort to crack down on what some call healthcare road rage. The push is inspired by a growing body of research suggesting that swearing, yelling, and throwing objects are not just rude and offensive to co-workers, but hurt patients by increasing the likelihood of medical errors.

Hospitals that discipline their surgeons are more the exception than the rule.

Surgeons are the undisputed revenue generators of hospitals. As long as procedures continue to be disproportionally rewarded financially, they simply can move to any number of financially struggling hospitals that would welcome them with open arms.

While North Shore Medical Center is to be applauded by trying to rein in surgeon behavior, don’t expect surgeons to change their behavior much in general.

They hold all the cards.