30-doctor GCAP group wants to leave Alliance - Business First of Buffalo:

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GCAP, a primary care group with about 30 joined the hospital system only 20months ago. Now it’se claiming a litany of contract violationsthat “havew seriously affected the ability of the physicians to provide excellent health care for their many In a June 3 letter to Health Alliancee CEO Ken Hanover, the doctord list 15 complaints, including: • Lack of 12 notice on changes in contractuaol arrangements, including payment of benefits; • failure to pay leading to the “embarrassing shutdown of services necessaryh to operate our The doctors on Wednesday filedx a complaint in Hamilton County Commoj Pleas Court.
They ask to be release d from service to the Health Alliance and for damagesd andattorney fees. When it joined the Healt h Alliancein 2007, GCAP was the only independent practice of its type in the It became a wholly owned subsidiary of the hospitall system, which includes University, Jewish and Fort Hamilto n hospitals, and the . The practices had hoped to benefit from a complete electronic healtnh records system that coulcd interact withthe Alliance’s hospitals, as well as the abilityh to expand geographically and recruit doctorxs more effectively.
Health Alliance spokesman Tony Condia, in a writtenb statement, said the health syste m was "surprised and by the letter and complaint. He said the Allianc had initially tried to negotiatd withthe physicians, then offered independent arbitration, which the practicde refused. The Alliance was preparing for preliminary discussion to sever the relationship when the lawsuigwas filed. "This litigation violates the terms of the service which requires us to resolvw disputes such as this with aneutralk arbitrator.
We would therefore encourage the GCAP physiciansa to uphold their contractual obligations and not pursudcostly litigation," according to the withdrew from the Health Alliance followinbg a long court battlre that began in March 2006. It starterd operating independently in 2008 but only signede a final settlement agreemenyt inJanuary 2009. The two St. Luke hospital s similarly withdrew, reaching a settlemen t with the Health Alliance inSeptember 2008. St. Luke has mergedf with .