A federal jury ruled in favor of Mercy Physician Associates Nov. 13 in a wage discrimination lawsuit, rejecting allegations that a female family practice physician was paid less than her male peers for the same work, according to The National Law Review.
The lawsuit was filed by Sharon Bertroche, MD. Dr. Bertroche alleged she was paid less than three male colleagues who worked at Mercy Physician Association, an Iowa-based physician group, under the same employment agreement for a similar 20-year period. Mercy Physician Association argued that the physicians' pay varied due to differences in practice management. Some physicians earned more under the payment system by delegating some tasks to other staff so they could see more patients, according to the report.
The physician network faces two more trials from female physicians who allege wage discrimination, according to the report.
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Editor's note: This article was updated Dec. 9 at 12:01 p.m. CT. It previously stated that a jury ruled in favor of Janesville, Wis.-based Mercy Physician Association. This is incorrect. Mercy Physician Associates, an Iowa-based group, was the defendant in the lawsuit. We regret this error.
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