Kent Skogerson, MD, former medical director of surgical services at Kern Valley Healthcare District in Lake Isabella, Calif., has filed a wrongful termination suit against the health system after his professional service agreement contract with the hospital was terminated, according to a Kern Valley Sun report.
KVHD contracted with Dr. Skogerson in 2005 for on-call and surgical services seven days per week. Earlier this year, the board voted to terminate the contract for what it claims were financial reasons, allowing Dr. Skogerson to work under his original agreement for 60 days. According to Board Member Robert Gross, DO, the general surgery department did not perform enough surgeries to break even under the previous contract with Dr. Skogerson. The board later offered Dr. Skogerson a new performance-based contract that no longer required on call coverage seven days a week and reduced compensation for his role as surgical director, according to the report.
Dr. Skogerson rejected the new offer and filed suit against the KVHD, board members and a hospitalist group owned by Dr. Gross. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Nov. 1.
The suit isn't the first by Dr. Skogerson against a hospital. He filed suit against Carson-Tahoe Hospital in Carson City, Nev., in 2003, after bariatric surgeries at the hospital were suspended following the death of one of his patients. In that suit, he claimed breach of contract, defamation and negligence, among other allegations, according to the report. The outcome of the suit was not provided.
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KVHD contracted with Dr. Skogerson in 2005 for on-call and surgical services seven days per week. Earlier this year, the board voted to terminate the contract for what it claims were financial reasons, allowing Dr. Skogerson to work under his original agreement for 60 days. According to Board Member Robert Gross, DO, the general surgery department did not perform enough surgeries to break even under the previous contract with Dr. Skogerson. The board later offered Dr. Skogerson a new performance-based contract that no longer required on call coverage seven days a week and reduced compensation for his role as surgical director, according to the report.
Dr. Skogerson rejected the new offer and filed suit against the KVHD, board members and a hospitalist group owned by Dr. Gross. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Nov. 1.
The suit isn't the first by Dr. Skogerson against a hospital. He filed suit against Carson-Tahoe Hospital in Carson City, Nev., in 2003, after bariatric surgeries at the hospital were suspended following the death of one of his patients. In that suit, he claimed breach of contract, defamation and negligence, among other allegations, according to the report. The outcome of the suit was not provided.
Related Articles on Wrongful Termination Suits:
Cardiologist Awarded $1.3M in Wrongful Termination Suit Against Sparks Health in Arkansas
Former Akron General Health Employee Wins $100K in Wrongful Termination Lawsuit