Texas cardiologist named in lawsuit says he will not be 'silenced by corporate bullies’
Two hospitals in Laredo, Texas, have filed a lawsuit against interventional cardiologist Ricardo Cigarroa, MD, alleging that he “entered into a conspiracy” with other providers throughout the area to interfere with recruiting efforts.
Doctors Hospital of Laredo and the Laredo Physicians Group allege that Cigarroa, “fancying himself the ‘kingmaker’ of cardiology in Laredo,” worked with the Cigarroa Heart and Vascular Institute and Laredo Medical Center to prevent them from hiring new cardiologists and interventional cardiologists. (The Cigarroa Heart and Vascular Institute and Laredo Medical Center are both also listed as defendants in the lawsuit.)
The plaintiffs noted that Laredo has fewer cardiologists than it needs to adequately care for its entire population, especially when it comes to interventional cardiologists. However, they alleged, Cigarroa felt uneasy by the potential competition and issued threats to potential recruits, warning them not to move to Laredo.
The Laredo Morning Times reported that Cigarroa has now responded to the lawsuit, attacking the “false allegations” made by the plaintiffs.
“Their actions confirm that they care more about their bottom line than they do about our residents and reaffirms how disconnected they are from our community,” Cigarroa said in the statement.
Cigarroa also claimed that he has heard privately from some Doctors Hospital employees that they support him and do not agree with the lawsuit.
“For 100 years, my family has been charged with the beautiful responsibility of taking care of the health of our community,” he added. “I will not be silenced by corporate bullies. I believe in our judicial system, and the truth always protects us.”
For now, it seems, this story continues.
Read the actual text of the lawsuit here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.