Neurosurgeon Gregory Sherr, MD, is suing HealthEast Care System, CentraCare Health and six affiliated physicians for an alleged "pattern of anti-competitive, tortious and otherwise illegal conduct." Both healthcare systems are based in St. Cloud, Minn.
Here are six things to know:
1. Dr. Sherr brought suit against the two health systems and six physicians in Federal District Court on Sept. 15.
2. Dr. Sherr served as Saint Cloud Hospital's neurosurgery department chair until early 2015. CentraCare wholly owns Saint Cloud Hospital. He resigned from Saint Cloud Hospital and joined Midwest Spine and Brain Institute in Stillwater, Minn.
3. Dr. Sherr and Midwest Spine and Brain Institute opened a neurosurgery clinic within blocks of Saint Cloud Hospital. In addition, Dr. Sherr received privileges at a few HealthEast hospitals.
4. Following these actions, Dr. Sherr alleges six neurosurgeons affiliated with the two health systems colluded to bring unfounded complaints against him in the HealthEast "Peer Review" process. Dr. Sherr argues this occurred because he was a competitive threat to the hospitals' in-house neurosurgeons.
5. The complaint alleges these "baseless complaints" resulted in the HealthEast committee suspending his privileges for violating HealthEast Bylaws. As a result of this suspension, Dr. Sherr alleges his reputation and career were ruined and he had to resign from Midwest Spine and Brain Institute and relocate to Florida.
6. Schaefer Halleen law firm is representing Dr. Sherr in the suit, and commented the case will be "groundbreaking," as they plan to reveal anti-competitive collusion among the neurosurgeons at two large Minnesota health systems.
"My intent was to develop, with MSBI's support, a state-of-the art neurosurgery approach to treating difficult cranial and spine cases. To have this dream destroyed, and to deprive Minnesota citizens of this resource, simply because I was a competitive threat to in-house neurosurgeons, is a tragedy for complex medical care in this state," said Dr. Sherr.