The battle for medical staff self-governance officially came to an end Tuesday, when the medical staff of Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura unanimously approved the medical staff bylaw amendments that were proposed in the settlement reached last month with the hospital governing body.

The medical staff filed a lawsuit against the hospital in 2003, accusing the hospital of using threats and intimidation to control the medical staff and launching one of the most contentious fights between a hospital and its physicians in California history. The settlement, which was approved last month by the hospital board of trustees and the medical staff executive committee, preserves the medical staff’s right to maintain control of quality of care and patient safety at the hospital.

Click here for a summary of the settlement provisions.