Late News: CaroMont suing Cogent Healthcare for breach of contract

CaroMont Health in Gastonia, N.C., is suing the company that used to staff its hospitalist medicine program, alleging breach of contract and unfair and deceptive labor practices. The organization, anchored by 394-bed CaroMont Regional Medical Center (until March known as Gaston Memorial Hospital), said healthcare staffing firm Cogent Healthcare made a “unilateral” decision to end its contract to provide hospitalist services earlier than expected. Although system officials planned to take over managerial control of hospitalist medicine by Dec. 1, a notice from Cogent set the withdrawal date for Oct. 8, according to the hospital. The dispute followed what hospital officials described in a news release as “multiple attempts to obtain additional compensation” by Cogent. The lawsuit was filed Oct. 9 in state Superior Court in Gaston County. A spokesman for Cogent said the company was still reviewing the lawsuit and could not comment on specific allegations. Cogent did, however, dispute CaroMont's version of events, saying the parties “mutually decided to conclude our business relationship.”