Judge dismisses lawsuit against Texas cardiologist
A lawsuit accusing interventional cardiologist Ricardo Cigarroa, MD, of working with other healthcare providers to interfere with physician recruitment efforts has been dismissed with prejudice.
The Laredo Morning Times was first to report on the update. The case dates back to 2021, when a pair of hospitals in Laredo, Texas, filed the original lawsuit against Cigarroa. The two hospitals, Doctors Hospital of Laredo and the Laredo Physicians Group, alleged that Cigarroa “entered into a conspiracy” with the Cigarroa Heart and Vascular Institute and Laredo Medical Center with a goal of preventing new cardiologists from moving into the area.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs said 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 idea of competition coming into the area and issued personal threats to potential recruits.
Cigarroa fired back at the time, saying Doctors Hospital of Laredo and Laredo Physicians Group “care more about their bottom line than they do about our residents.” Now, according to the update from the Laredo Morning Times, the case has been dismissed with prejudice. U.S. District Court Judge Xavier Rodriguez of the Western District of Texas’ San Antonio division signed the judgement.
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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.