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Cardiac Medical Practice Group Of Approximately 15 Cardiologists

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n February 2002, a cardiologist named Dr. Robert Emerick was hired by the Cardiac Study Center as an employee. Cardiac is a medical practice group of roughly 15 cardiologists. The center has provided care to patients in Pierce County who have heart disease since 1966. It has four offices, each one near a hospital that serves as a recommendation source for Cardiac. Dr. Robert Emerick trained in medicine in Memphis, Tennessee for around three years before getting employed at Cardiac. Two years after his employment, Emerick became a shareholder of Cardiac. When he became a shareholder, Emerick signed a shareholder employment agreement. The agreement included the covenant not to compete, which asserted a promise not to practice competitively in Pierce County or Federal Way for the duration of five years, if and when he leaves Cardiac. In August 2005, Cardiac began to get complaints about Emerick’s conduct. Several physicians actually stopped referring patients to Cardiac due to his conduct. When this became a problem, Cardiac’s Professional Conduct Committee met with Emerick to discuss the complaints. Not only did they meet once, but twice because there were more complaints after the first discussion. Even after addressing the complaints a second time, Emerick’s behavior did not change. In February 2009, the Conduct Committee suggested that the Board of Directors discipline Emerick because he did not make an effort to change. Thus, the Board fired Emerick on May 1, 2009. After

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