Hospitals fight to leave Cincinnati alliance

It looks like a bitter divorce for a group of hospitals seeking to leave a Cincinnati-based health system. Last year, three hospitals that made up part of the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati gave notice that they didn't want to be part of the Alliance anymore. The Health Alliance sued to stop the departing hospitals, which include Christ Hospital of Mount Auburn, Ohio and the two St. Luke Hospitals in northern Kentucky. The hospitals then countersued to get out of the pact. In its suit, the Health Alliance says that it has done nothing to default on its responsibilities and trigger the withdrawal clause specified in the hospitals' joint operating agreement. But the departing hospitals beg to differ. They argue that the Alliance crossed the line in several ways. This includes filing suit against Christ Hospital before a mandatory cooling off period specified in the agreement after a proposed departure, not letting Christ Hospital use its own revenue to defend the suit, and using all three hospitals' revenue to pay Alliance legal fees. A judge should rule on the matter on April 16.

To learn more about the dispute:
- read this Cincinnati Business Courier article