Updated April 29, 2021 at 1:15 p.m.
A group of Charlotte-area doctors has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against CaroMont Medical Group, which runs the primary health system in Gaston County.
CaroMont, Tryon Medical Partners, Gaston Medical Partners and six doctors finalized the agreement on Wednesday. A CaroMont spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday that the settlement allows the doctors to join Tryon Medical Partners, though further details of the settlement were not made available.
In September 2019, seven doctors employed by CaroMont Health sued the health system, arguing that CaroMont was unfairly blocking the doctors from joining Tryon Medical Partners, Business North Carolina reported. The doctors believed that joining a smaller, independent practice would allow them to better serve patients, The Charlotte Business Journal reported, but CaroMont argued the move would violate the doctors’ contracts, which prohibited them from working at a competing system.
According to a statement released Wednesday evening, the settlement resolves that lawsuit and the involved parties are “pleased by this outcome and remain committed to the care and service of patients in our community.” The six doctors involved are David Locklear, Michael McCartney, Gregory O’Leary, Derek Read, Caroline Stephens and Brian Wysong, all formerly with South Point Family Practice.
A Tryon Medical Partners spokesperson declined to comment further on the settlement.
At least two groups of doctors have left Charlotte-area hospital systems in recent years. In January 2019, 41 doctors left Novant Health to join the multi-state practice Holston Medical Group. In 2018, 88 primary care and specialty doctors left Atrium Health to form Tryon Medical Partners.
