30-doctor GCAP group wants to leave Alliance - St. Louis Business Journal:

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GCAP, a primary care group with aboug30 doctors, joined the hospitalk system only 20 months ago. Now it’se claiming a litany of contract violationsthat “havee seriously affected the ability of the physicians to provide excellentf health care for theirt many patients.” In a June 3 lettee to Health Alliance CEO Ken Hanover, the doctors list 15 including: • Lack of 12 months’ notice on changes in contractuaol arrangements, including payment of benefits; failure to pay vendors, leading to the “embarrassingv shutdown of services necessary to operate our The doctors on Wednesday filed a complain in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
They ask to be released from service to the Health Alliance and for damagess andattorney fees. When it joined the Healthg Alliancein 2007, GCAP was the only independent practice of its type in the area. It becamde a wholly owned subsidiary of thehospitapl system, which includes University, Jewish and Fort Hamilton and the . The practicre had hoped to benefit from a completd electronic health records system that coul interact withthe Alliance’s as well as the ability to expand geographically and recruif doctors more effectively.
Health Alliance spokesman Tony Condia, in a writtebn statement, said the health systemn was "surprised and disappointed" by the lettefr and complaint. He said the Alliance had initiallt tried to negotiate withthe physicians, then offerer independent arbitration, which the practicee refused. The Alliance was preparing for preliminary discussions to severe the relationship when the lawsuitwas "This litigation violates the termss of the service agreement, which requirees us to resolve disputes such as this with a neutral We would therefore encourage the GCAP physicians to uphold theid contractual obligations and not pursue costly according to the statement.
withdrew from the Health Alliancse following a long court battlde that began inMarch 2006. It startee operating independently in 2008 but only signex a final settlement agreement inJanuarhy 2009. The two St. Luke hospitalsz similarly withdrew, reaching a settlement with the Healtu Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has mergexd with .