From an HCA hospital suing to halt a rival hospital's expansion to Mass General Brigham being hit with a patent infringement suit, here are seven recent lawsuits and settlements involving hospitals that Becker's has reported since Jan. 13:
1. HCA's Mission Hospital sues to intervene in rival's expansion
Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., filed a lawsuit to stop Hendersonville, N.C.-based Pardee Hospital from expanding its cardiac catheterization services. Mission Hospital has an in-hospital cardiac catheterization unit serving patients in the same region.
2. Trinity Health, New York hospital swerve nurse’s overtime lawsuit
Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center and Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health System dodged a class-action lawsuit alleging they failed to properly pay employees for overtime hours.
3. 'Predator in a white coat': Former physician convicted of sex abuse
Robert Hadden, a former New York City gynecologist, was convicted of four counts of enticing his former patients into the state to engage in illegal sexual activity. In October, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, both in New York City, reached a $165 million settlement with 147 former patients who reported sexual abuse or misconduct by the former gynecologist.
4. California hospital district collects $3M in settlement with former attorney
The Tulare (Calif.) Local Healthcare District will receive a $3 million settlement from its former attorney Bruce Greene, whose law firm allegedly breached its fiduciary duty and was professionally negligent under Tulare's previous ownership.
5. Mass General Brigham faces federal patent infringement lawsuit
Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham is being accused of infringing on the patent of a diagnostic technology. The lawsuit accuses the health system and its subsidiaries of improperly using or commercializing a technology invented by Armin Moehrle that syncs viewer gestures over a video or image to help with diagnostics or teaching sessions.
6. Deaf woman settles discrimination suit against Minnesota system for $180K
Robbinsdale, Minn.-based North Memorial Health has agreed to pay $180,000 to resolve allegations it denied a deaf woman a job because of her disability.
7. Chicago physician, health system hit with 7 misconduct suits
OB-GYN Vernon Cannon, MD, PhD, and his former employer Downers Grove, Ill.-based Duly Health and Care, formerly DuPage Medical Group, were hit with seven misconduct lawsuits brought by patients. Dr. Cannon allegedly engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a patient and allegedly treated several others while intoxicated.