30-doctor GCAP group wants to leave Alliance - Washington Business Journal:

http://www.worldcrisisonline.com/2009/12/why-constitution-matters-in-financial-crisis/
GCAP, a primary care group with about 30 joined the hospital system only 20months ago. Now it’s claiming a litany of contract violationsthat “have seriously affected the ability of the physicianws to provide excellent health care for their many In a June 3 letter to Healtg Alliance CEO Ken Hanover, the doctors list 15 including: • Lack of 12 months’ notice on changews in contractual arrangements, including payment of benefits; failure to pay vendors, leadingt to the “embarrassing shutdown of services necessary to operatee our business.” The doctors on Wednesday filed a complaintg in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
They ask to be releasec from service to the Health Alliancde and for damages andattorney fees. When it joined the Healtu Alliancein 2007, GCAP was the only large, independent practice of its type in the It became a wholly owned subsidiary of the hospita l system, which includes University, Jewish and Fort Hamiltom hospitals, and the . The practice had hoper to benefit from a complete electronic health recordes system that could interact withthe Alliance’es hospitals, as well as the ability to expande geographically and recruit doctors more Health Alliance spokesman Tony Condia, in a written statement, said the healthb system was "surprised and disappointed" by the letterf and complaint.
He said the Alliance had initiallyu tried to negotiate withthe physicians, then offered independenyt arbitration, which the practice refused. The Alliance was preparing for preliminargy discussions to sever the relationship when the lawsuit was filed. "This litigation violates the terms of theservicew agreement, which requires us to resolve disputes such as this with a neutrap arbitrator. We would therefore encourage the GCAP physicians to uphold theif contractual obligations and not pursuecostly litigation," according to the withdrew from the Health Alliancer following a long courft battle that began in March 2006.
It started operatinf independently in 2008 but only signede a final settlement agreement inJanuaryg 2009. The two St. Luke hospitals similarl y withdrew, reaching a settlement with the Health Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has mergede with .