A judge has dismissed the $50 million lawsuit filed by St. Louis Heart and Vascular, a longtime cardiology practice with six locations throughout the greater St. Louis area, against the SSM Health hospital system.
As reported back in April, the lawsuit came after SSM Health told St. Louis Heart and Vascular it would be entering into an exclusive arrangement with another cardiology provider. As a part of that agreement, employees of St. Louis Heart and Vascular had their privileges revoked at SSM Health hospitals.
The cardiology practice argued this new agreement would cost them millions of dollars, noting that they had invested heavily in locations specifically because they were located near SSM Health hospitals. The judge, however, ruled that everything SSM Health did appeared to be perfectly legal. Read documentation from the case here.
“We are pleased that the court agreed with our position however we have no further comment on this case,” a spokesperson for SSM Health told St. Louis-based KSDK. St. Louis Heart and Vascular, meanwhile, plans to appeal.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.