When Physicians Drew a Line, the Community Stood With Them
In early 2026, emergency medicine in Oregon became the center of a national debate.
PeaceHealth announced plans to replace Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP), a physician-owned emergency medicine group that had cared for patients in Eugene, OR for decades, with a corporate staffing model involving ApolloMD.
For many physicians, this wasn’t simply a staffing change. It was a question of who controls the practice of medicine.
Would emergency care continue to be led by local physicians accountable to their patients and community? Or would control shift further toward corporate entities increasingly shaping healthcare across the country?
EEP chose to fight.
And they weren’t alone. AAEM publicly supported EEP and, through the AAEM Foundation, provided financial support to help defend physician-led emergency medicine during one of the most closely watched physician autonomy battles in the nation.
Why Oregon Mattered
The dispute emerged shortly after Oregon strengthened its corporate practice of medicine (CPOM) protections. These laws are designed to ensure that medical decisions remain in the hands of physicians rather than corporate interests.
What happened in Eugene had implications far beyond a single emergency department.
Physicians across the country were watching. Healthcare leaders were watching. Policymakers were watching.
The outcome would help answer an increasingly important question: Can physician-owned groups continue to thrive in modern healthcare?
A Victory for Physician-Led Care
In May 2026, PeaceHealth reversed course and reached an agreement allowing Eugene Emergency Physicians to continue staffing emergency departments in Eugene.
The proposed ApolloMD transition did not move forward. The legal dispute was resolved. Most importantly, physician-led emergency medicine remained in place.
For the physicians of EEP, the result preserved a practice they had spent decades building.
For AAEM, it reinforced something larger: physician advocacy works.
What This Victory Shows
The Oregon fight demonstrated that physicians do not have to accept every corporate decision as inevitable.
When physicians organize, advocate, and stand together, they can influence outcomes that affect their patients, their communities, and their profession.
The resolution also highlighted the growing importance of CPOM protections and renewed national attention on physician autonomy.
These issues will continue to shape the future of emergency medicine for years to come.
AAEM’s Commitment
AAEM supported EEP because the principles at stake align directly with our mission.
We believe physicians, not corporations, should direct the practice of medicine. We believe physicians should be able to advocate for their patients without fear of corporate interference. And we believe emergency medicine is strongest when physicians retain the independence necessary to put patients first.
The Oregon fight may be over.
The work is not.
AAEM will continue supporting physicians, defending physician autonomy, and advocating for emergency medicine wherever those principles are threatened.
Thank You
AAEM thanks the physicians of Eugene Emergency Physicians, the Oregon emergency medicine community, the advocates who raised awareness, and the donors whose support of the AAEM Foundation helped make our involvement possible.
This victory belongs to everyone who believes that medicine should remain in the hands of physicians.