Physician sues CoxHealth, alleging business interference and defamation

A Springfield physician has filed suit against CoxHealth for alleged business interference and defamation that he says led to financial and reputational damages.

The suit filed April 17 in Greene County Circuit Court by Dr. Keesag Baron of Baron Cardiology Group PC names CoxHealth and its Ferrell-Duncan Clinic as defendants. The suit alleges three counts: tortious interference with a business relationship, defamation and violations of the Sherman Act antitrust law.

The lawsuit claims CoxHealth and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic allegedly conspired to remove Baron's staff privileges and his patients' ability to use their insurance for care at Baron Cardiology Group.

Baron opened his own practice in 2008 after previously working for CoxHealth and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic, and for a time retained staff privileges and remained part of the clinic's cardiology group, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges those privileges were pulled when Baron declined to make all of his referrals to CoxHealth and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic. The suit alleges the reported desire for the physician’s referrals was "not based on the medical needs of Dr. Baron's patients. Rather, it was motivated by their desire to capture the revenue and profits from those referrals."

According to the lawsuit, CoxHealth and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic officials used an 88-year-old patient's death as pretense to remove Baron's privileges as part of a peer-review process.

"As a result of Cox's and FDC's conduct, many of Dr. Baron's patients were forced to leave Baron Cardiology and return to Cox and FDC physicians because their health insurance would no longer pay for them to see Dr. Baron," the lawsuit reads. "In addition to losing his patients from Cox's and FDC's conduct, Dr. Baron and Baron Cardiology suffered substantial financial losses."

In a statement provided this morning to Springfield Business Journal, CoxHealth officials confirmed Baron is not a CoxHealth employee and that he does not have privileges at the health system.

"CoxHealth is committed to integrity and ethics in all of our business practices and in our relationships with physicians. We followed appropriate procedures in all reviews involving Dr. Baron, and we stand by all decisions made," the statement reads. "We are unable to comment further on this situation as it is a matter in litigation."

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages against CoxHealth and Ferrell-Duncan Clinic.

The Springfield News-Leader was first to report on the lawsuit.