By Lawrence Messina
The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Hospitals in neighboring states have seen a jump in surgeries as a job action by about two dozen surgeons in West Virginia's northern panhandle has forced facilities to transfer patients elsewhere.

At least a half-dozen patients have been transported up to 120 miles for treatment since the orthopedic, general and heart surgeons at four hospitals in Wheeling, Weirton and Glen Dale began the walkout Wednesday.

Talks between the surgeons, who are protesting malpractice insurance costs, and state officials continued Friday without any signs of progress, after a Thursday afternoon meeting at the Capitol that included Gov. Bob Wise.

"The governor expressed to them the need for them to return to work," Joe Carey, Mr. Wise's communications director, said Friday. "The governor reinforced to them yesterday that this needs to be a statewide, long-term solution and not a regional, northern panhandle short-term fix."

At least 18 of 19 surgeons at Wheeling Hospital have taken 30-day leaves of absence. Eleven have asked for leave from Weirton Medical Center and 14 from Wheeling's Ohio Valley Medical Center. Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glen Dale said surgeons there were taking leave, but it was unclear how many.

The Wheeling Fire Department drove one surgery patient early Friday morning from OVMC to Ohio State University in Columbus, 126 miles away, OVMC spokesman Howard Gamble said. He said it was a non-life-threatening but necessary procedure.

At least five other patients have been transferred elsewhere since the job action began Wednesday, including three from Weirton and two from Wheeling Hospital. Reynolds Memorial still has not had to transfer any patients, an official there said.

East Ohio Regional Hospital, OVMC's sister hospital in Martins Ferry, Ohio, has seen a 30 percent to 40 percent increase in surgeries, Mr. Gamble said. Just five miles from Wheeling, East Ohio has added staff and hours to its surgery schedule, he said.

Mr. Gamble also said several of the protesting OVMC surgeons have transferred their scheduled or elective surgeries to East Ohio but have not merely switched locales.

"That would defeat the purpose of their strike," he said.

East Ohio surgeons, meanwhile, are rerouting some nonemergency patients to OVMC to take advantage of its facilities, he said.

The protesting surgeons blame their insurance premiums on malpractice lawsuits and damage awards, and want more laws limiting both. The governor has said he plans to propose such changes when the Legislature begins its regular session next week. But state officials question whether that will provide immediate relief to quell the job action.

"There's no one I've ever talked to about civil justice reform that will say you'll have an immediate, substantial impact on premium costs. In fact, it's the opposite," House Speaker Bob Kiss said. "It's not going to have an impact, if at all, for several years."

Mr. Kiss, D-Raleigh, envisions a tax credit to offset high premium costs. He also wants to consider rate boosts for doctors who treat patients covered by the Public Employees Insurance Agency and similar government programs.

"The only way you can do anything is subsidization," Mr. Kiss said. "You've got to be very careful and narrow in your focus, and then you have to identify your available resources."

Few private insurers continue to provide malpractice coverage to West Virginia doctors. Nearly 1,000 doctors are covered by a special plan through the state's Board of Risk and Insurance Management. Though BRIM now underprices the largest private insurer left in the state, doctors complain the premiums are still too high.

The Legislature enacted the BRIM program during a special 2001 session devoted to medical malpractice. Lawmakers will not tinker with its rates to soothe the protesting doctors, Mr. Kiss predicted.

"We don't want to be in the business to begin with. We're all terrified that despite our superhuman efforts to make this work, we'll end up with an unfunded liability," he said. "You're going to subsidize them, don't do it with an artificially low premium rate."