From noncompetes to telehealth guidelines, here are three lawsuits from the last year in which physicians challenged their state's policy.
1. Shannon MacDonald, MD, a radiation oncologist with Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, is suing to allow clinicians to treat patients in other states remotely. Dr. MacDonald filed a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey's medical board to end its restrictions on out-of-state specialty telehealth. The Pacific Legal Foundation is assisting her with the complaint.
2. The North Carolina Supreme Court granted review for a lawsuit from ophthalmologist Jay Singleton, MD, challenging the state's certificate-of-need laws. Dr. Singleton can perform only an "incidental" number of surgeries from his center's operating room under current law, the suit alleges.
3. Pediatric intensivist David Lankford, MD, is suing his former employer, Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Hospital, to get out of a noncompete clause in his contract. Earlier this year, Indiana passed a noncompete ban for primary care physicians, but it excluded specialty physicians. However, specialty physicians were given three outs — one being if they are let go by the employer "without cause" or quit "for cause," their noncompete can be nullified. Dr. Lankford and his legal team said they believe his reason for quitting will be enough to convince a judge.