Emory drops suit to block Gwinnett Medical's heart-surgery program

By Craig Schneider

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Emory University Hospital dropped its lawsuit Friday to block Gwinnett Medical Center’s plan to perform open-heart surgery, ending a nearly two-year fight over the program.

Emory and Piedmont Hospital had battled the Gwinnett proposal since 2008, asserting that it would flood the metro market and dilute the quality of open-heart care.

Piedmont dropped its lawsuit earlier this month.

Emory’s decision followed talks with several Gwinnett lawmakers and Emory’s leadership, officials said.

“Emory Healthcare and the legislative leaders have all acknowledged that by working more closely together, patient care for the entire region will be advanced in the most effective and efficient manner,” said Emory in a prepared statement.

The action clears the way for Gwinnett Medical to start the first open-heart surgery program in that county.

Even after the state approved Gwinnett Medical’s plan in July, both Emory and piedmont, each of which performs open-heart surgeries, filed separate lawsuits in August to overturn the state decision.

Emory officials had said that a new program at Gwinnett Medical Center would erode the overall quality of other existing open-heart surgery programs — in part because hospitals need to perform a high number of these procedures to maintain quality.

Gwinnett Medical officials said that the open-heart program will save precious time for people in need of the procedure, and it won’t damage the marketplace.

In Gwinnett, the proposal became a community effort, with proclamations of support from the County Commission, the chamber of commerce, elected officials and the school board.

Gwinnett Medical hopes to open the heart center in 2011.