Physician earns $2M judgment from Ascension in a wrongful termination lawsuit

An Indiana physician has been awarded a $2.05 million judgment in an improper termination lawsuit against his former employer. 

According to coverage from Inside Indiana Business, Timothy Story, MD, sued Ascension St. Vincent Medical Group in Hamilton County court, where after a three-and-a-half year legal battle he was awarded $300,000 for breach of contract and another $1.75 million in punitive damages for tortious interference.

The jury sided with Story after his civil case against Ascension went to trial when a settlement could not be reached. 

Story was fired in 2020 when the health system claimed he was being investigated by federal authorities for illegal prescribing practices. Ascension requires any clinician potentially facing an indictment to notify administration, per their employment agreements.

However, Story said, he had no knowledge of any ongoing investigation against him and he was never charged with a crime. He claimed to only receive a subpoena requesting medical records on five patients, which he complied with under the law. 

Ascension responded that doing so still constituted a violation of his employment agreement. A day after firing Story, the health system canceled his professional liability insurance, effectively making it impossible for the internal medicine physician to care for patients. 

In addition to earning his living as a partner at a concierge medical practice, Story was team internist for the Indiana Pacers for more than a decade. He earned a positive reputation in the community and was often seen on television as a medical consultant for local news. 

Story said Ascension disrupted and interfered with his career. A Hamilton County jury agreed. They ruled that the health system unfairly damaged Story’s reputation and financial security without cause, ultimately awarding him a financial judgment. 

Read the full story from Inside Indiana Business at the link below.