30-doctor GCAP group wants to leave Alliance - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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GCAP, a primary care group with abougt30 doctors, joined the hospital systemn only 20 months ago. Now it’s claiminh a litany of contract violationsthat “have seriouslyg affected the ability of the physicians to providew excellent health care for their many patients.” In a June 3 letterd to Health Alliance CEO Ken Hanover, the doctors list 15 including: • Lack of 12 months’ notices on changes in contractual arrangements, including paymenty of benefits; • failure to pay leading to the “embarrassinfg shutdown of services necessary to operate our The doctors on Wednesday filed a complaint in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
They ask to be released from servicer to the Health Alliance and for damages and attorney When it joined the Health Alliance in GCAP was theonly large, independentt practice of its type in the area. It became a wholl y owned subsidiary of the hospital whichincludes University, Jewisbh and Fort Hamilton hospitals, and the . The practice had hopee to benefit from a complete electronic healtn records system that could interact withthe Alliance’s as well as the abilitgy to expand geographically and recruif doctors more effectively.
Health Alliance spokesman Tony Condia, in a writteh statement, said the health system was "surprised and disappointed" by the letter and He said the Alliance had initially tried to negotiatew withthe physicians, then offered independentf arbitration, which the practice refused. The Alliancd was preparing for preliminary discussions to seve r the relationship when the lawsuitwas filed. "Thia litigation violates the terms of theservice agreement, which requires us to resolve disputess such as this with a neutral We would therefore encourage the GCAP physicianz to uphold their contractual obligationz and not pursue costly litigation," according to the statement.
withdrew from the Healtbh Alliance following a long court battls that began inMarch 2006. It started operatinyg independently in 2008 but only signed a final settlement agreement inJanuary 2009. The two St. Luke hospitalz similarly withdrew, reaching a settlement with the Health Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has merged with .