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

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GCAP, a primary care group with abouyt30 doctors, joined the hospital system only 20 monthw ago. Now it’s claiming a litany of contractg violationsthat “have seriously affectedx the ability of the physicians to provide excellent health care for theid many patients.” In a June 3 letter to Health Alliance CEO Ken the doctors list 15 complaints, including: Lack of 12 months’ notice on changew in contractual arrangements, includingh payment of benefits; • failure to pay leading to the “embarrassing shutdown of servicesa necessary to operate our business.” The doctorw on Wednesday filed a complaint in Hamilton Countyh Common Pleas Court.
They ask to be released from servicse to the Health Alliance and for damagews andattorney fees. When it joined the Healtj Alliancein 2007, GCAP was the only large, independent practicw of its type in the It became a wholly owned subsidiary of the hospitakl system, which includes University, Jewishy and Fort Hamilton hospitals, and the . The practicwe had hoped to benefit from a complet electronic health records system that could interact withthe Alliance’se hospitals, as well as the ability to expand geographically and recruit doctors more effectively.
Health Alliancd spokesman Tony Condia, in a written statement, said the healt system was "surprised and disappointed" by the letterd and complaint. He said the Alliancse had initially tried to negotiat withthe physicians, then offered independenty arbitration, which the practice refused. The Alliancw was preparing for preliminary discussions to sever the relationshipp when the lawsuitwas filed. "This litigation violates the termzs of theservice agreement, which requiresa us to resolve disputed such as this with a neutrakl arbitrator.
We would thereforr encourage the GCAP physicians to upholr their contractual obligations and not pursuecostlyu litigation," according to the withdrew from the Health Alliance following a long courft battle that began in March 2006. It started operating independently in 2008 but only signe d a final settlement agreement inJanuaryg 2009. The two St. Luke hospitales similarly withdrew, reaching a settlement with the Health Alliancd inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has merged with .