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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Carmel physician who worked for St. Vincent Medical Group for a decade is suing the health system, claiming it fired him without cause last year.
Dr. Timothy J. Story filed suit in Indiana Commercial Court on March 4 against St. Vincent, claiming it improperly fired him Aug. 27 upon learning of an alleged federal investigation into his prescribing practices. The lawsuit says Story was not aware of an investigation targeting him.
St. Vincent said in its termination notice that Story failed to notify it of the federal investigation, as required by his employment agreement, the lawsuit claims.
Story said to the best of his knowledge he was not the target or subject of any federal investigation, and even if he was, he was not required to notify St. Vincent of it, under the terms of his contract.
Story has not been named in any federal investigation, indictment or court action, according to an IBJ review of public records.
A spokeswoman for Ascension St. Vincent, based in Indianapolis, said the health system could not comment on pending litigation.
Ascension, based in St. Louis, is the parent of Indianapolis-based St. Vincent, which recently included the Ascension name into all of its branding here. Ascension is the largest Catholic hospital system in the nation.
Story, formerly chief of medicine at Indiana University North Medical Center, is a partner at FirstLine PHC, a “concierge” medical practice where patients pay annual fees for access to doctors.
Ascension has no ownership or interest in First Line. The practice leases office space from IU Health North. It is located at 11725 N. Illinois St., Carmel.
Story, an internal medicine physician who was team internist for the Indiana Pacers for 12 years and an on-air television consultant, said he has performed services through FirstLine for more than a decade with Ascension’s knowledge and consent.
Story claims that Ascension canceled his professional liability insurance on Aug. 28, a day after firing him, leaving him unable to practice medicine until he could acquire new coverage. Story resumed his practice at FirstLine a month later.
According to the complaint, Ascension employees, who have been permitted to work at FirstLine’s office, have “disrupted and interfered” with Story’s patient relationship and delivery of patient care. For example, they have refused Story’s requests for laboratory test results for his patients, on Ascension’s instructions, the lawsuit said.
His practice was further disrupted when his partner, Dr. Kevin McCallum, told him that Ascension would not provide malpractice insurance to McCallum for covering Story’s patients, and as a result, McCallum would no longer provide call coverage for Story.
Story is claiming St. Vincent engaged in tortious interference with business relationships and breach of contract. He is asking the court for a declaratory judgment that St. Vincent’s termination for cause was invalid.
He is also seeking compensatory damages, including lost earnings, lost benefits, loss of future earning capacity , out-of-pocket expenses, emotional distress and reputational injury.
Dr. Story graduated from Indiana University Medical School and completed his internal medicine residency at St. Vincent Hospital.
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I am proud to declare that Tim Story has been my doctor for decades. And, he will remain my doctor as long as he is able and willing to put up with me.