A large independent cardiology practice in Salem, Oregon, has filed a $15 million antitrust and defamation lawsuit against local health system Salem Health, according to a September 16 article in the Salem Reporter.
The Oregon Heart Center offers a range of cardiac care, including ultrasound, nuclear medicine and x-ray imaging. It claims that Salem Health "pressured patients while still in their hospital beds to switch providers, limited referrals and access to information about independent cardiologists, and spread misinformation about the clinic through the local health care community," according to the Salem Reporter story.
Local news outlet KGW.com reported that the lawsuit alleges Salem Health “resorted to intimidation tactics, false information, and anticompetitive conduct in its effort to take over the market.”
