Dr. Barry M. Rodwick, one of Tampa Bay's leading HIV specialists, resigned from AHF, the management company that he hired to run his practice in mid-September.
While representatives of the AHF are handling existing patients through temporary replacements from an office in South Florida, Rodwick himself is not currently seeing patients and his future in HIV management is uncertain.
Neither AHF nor Dr. Rockwick responded to requests for comment from Watermark.
However, in a letter sent to other HIV professionals dated Sept. 12, Rodwick says his last day with AHF was Sept. 2. He goes on to explain what happened and what his current plans are for the future.
“I have been treating HIV/AIDS full time for the past 20 years,” he wrote. “Certainly the office kept getting more and more busy, so two years ago I joined AHF with the plan of being able to get some help with a nurse practitioner/physician's assistant. Since that time the office continues to grow, but no help was forthcoming, and I found that the transition to AHF was becoming more chaotic”resulting in a deterioration of patient care and access that below my standards. I'm tired.
“After great consideration I believe it was best for me to resign from AHF. I did choose to quit.”
AHF is searching for a replacement,” Rodwick continues. “I understand in the meantime they intend to staff the office with providers from their Ft. Lauderdale location. The office will remain open to all HIV/AIDS patients.”
Brodwick goes on to discuss his personal plans and his very tentative plans for a future practice in the letter.
“I plan to take 2-3 months off to “rest' and enjoy some free time and at the same time I will be working toward opening my own practice again at a new location”¦it is in the very early stages.”
It is unclear from the correspondence how the changes or details of the new practice might be communicated to existing patients. AHF holds all existing patient files and Rodwick does not currently have access to them.
According to several local HIV case managers, representatives from HIV pharmacies and patients themselves, current patients have not received any notification of Rodwick's departure. Instead the information is being shared with patients as they arrive for their regularly scheduled appointments.
It is unclear how patients are responding to the developments. HIV/AIDS patients have close relationships to their specialist and sudden changes in their care which have not been adequately communicated can be unsettling.
“I know this development can be traumatic to a lot of those in the community, and I am sorry for that but it will all work out,” Rodwick said. “All my best to everyone. Maybe I will be spotted as some events now that I will have more of an opportunity to attend.”
Watermark‘s Greg Stemm weighs in on what the resignation means for him.
