Overview
- Dr. Lauren Beene and Dr. Valerie Fouts-Fowler filed their complaint Dec. 15 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, asserting wrongful termination, defamation, and breach of contract.
- University Hospitals has declined to comment on the lawsuit, pointing back to prior statements that an internal probe found the doctors accessed data for more than 4,000 providers via a care coordination app and sent unsolicited texts.
- The health system previously said the conduct violated multiple UH policies and posed risks to care coordination, while reporters noted UH did not provide the specific policies when asked.
- The physicians say they were punished for raising concerns about delayed lab results, severe ER understaffing at UH Ahuja, and shortages of childhood vaccines and intrathecal baclofen, and they contend others used the same app for non-care messaging without discipline.
- The complaint recounts that the doctors were placed on leave June 19 and terminated five days later, alleges a UH-led smear campaign, and seeks reinstatement, invalidation of noncompete and non-solicitation clauses, and damages.