 Kottemann, a well-known and long-standing physician in the
Lincoln area, had seemingly been put on leave from his position with
Family Medical Center in Lincoln.On Oct. 12, LDN published a
release from Family Medical Center saying Dr. Kottemann was on a
paid leave of absence.
As letters continued to come in, all expressed appreciation and
concern for Dr. Kottemann, in addition to some confusion as to why
their family physician was no longer available to them.
On Oct.18, Paul Kasa, M.D., the medical director at Family
Medical Center of Lincoln, issued a second letter, which was also
published in LDN. In his letter he stated that the reasons for
Kottemann's departure were confidential between the medical center
and Kottemann, and would continue to be confidential.
Kasa also wrote:
(Copy)
First, and most
important, the current issues surrounding Dr. Kottemann should not
cause you to question the safe, high-quality care you have received
at the Family Medical Center of Lincoln, or any other Memorial
Health System facilities, in the past or that you will receive in
the future.
Second, despite all
of the negative and inaccurate information being disseminated about
us, Family Medical Center of Lincoln and Memorial Health System will
continue to serve the community in line with our mission to improve
the health of the people and communities we serve. We will never
compromise our focus on safe, high-quality patient care.
Finally, regarding
concerns for Dr. Kottemann, please be assured that medical and
administrative leadership of Family Medical Center of Lincoln and
Memorial Health System have devoted many hours to this matter. None
of us takes this responsibility lightly. We have acted in good faith
and in accordance with our procedures. We will continue to do so.
Since October, very little has been heard from Family Medical
Center or Kottemann regarding this issue until this week.
This week patients of Kottemann all received a letter signed by
him advising them that he has decided to retire from medical
practice and encouraging patients to continue to seek medical care
from any of the other doctors who practice at Family Medical Center.
[to top of second column] |
Below is a copy of the letter patients received.
February 10, 2012
Dear Patient:
On Friday, February
3, 2012, I retired from my medical practice at Family Medical Center
of Lincoln. I will be forever grateful for the extraordinary
opportunity I had to practice family medicine in our community all
these years. Words will never express the depth of my gratitude for
the trust given to me to care for you and your family.
My gratitude also
extends to my fellow physicians and coworkers. I will always value
our relationships as colleagues devoted to serving the needs of
others. The many friendships that were formed over the years were
fostered by a shared commitment to excellent care for all our
patients.
As I retire from my
medical practice, you may have questions about how to select a new
primary care physician. I encourage you to continue receiving care
at Family Medical Center of Lincoln from one of the clinic's seven
other physicians. For more information, you may call 217-735-6340.
For medical
prescription renewals, you will first need to select one of my
former colleagues at Family Medical Center of Lincoln as your new
primary care physician. He or she will then proceed to work with you
to schedule an initial appointment, review your healthcare needs and
medical history with you and follow-up on your prescription renewal
request.
In retirement, I
will welcome the opportunities to see you in community and other
social settings. Until then, please accept my warmest personal
wishes for good health, safekeeping and well-being.
Sincerely,
Steven Kottemann,
MD
[LDN and copies of text received]
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Past statements from
Family Medical Center
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