A Bismarck, N.D.-based Mid Dakota Clinic physician took the stand Tuesday to voice her opposition to the health system's proposed merger with Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, stating the majority of her patients do not support the deal, according to The Bismarck Tribune.
Janice Bury, MD, an OB-GYN physician at Mid Dakota Clinic, was one of several individuals who testified in U.S. District Court Tuesday as part of the four-day hearing to determine if the Federal Trade Commission should be granted an injunction to halt the proposed merger.
If granted, the health systems' merger negotiations would be put on hold until a formal FTC hearing, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 28 in Washington, D.C., the report states.
"I don’t believe [the merger is] the right thing to do," Dr. Bury said during court proceedings. "It's healthy [for patients] to have the right to choose. … If you remove competition, you're doing a disservice."
Other individuals who testified on Tuesday included a number of FTC experts and officials from a North Dakota-based information technology company who spoke about purchasing health insurance for their employees, according to the report.
A spokesperson for Sanford Health told The Bismarck Tribune Oct. 31, "Sanford Health continues to defend its case that the merger with Mid Dakota Clinic is in the best interest of the people of central and western North Dakota and will increase access for patients to new and expanded medical services. We are ready to share the facts on how the merger will improve healthcare in our region at the hearing this week."
The FTC filed a lawsuit to block the proposed merger in June citing antitrust concerns, just days after the health systems announced the deal.