Health system accuses docs of divulging confidential trade secrets

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has filed a lawsuit accusing a group of employees of sharing trade secrets with another health system in order to create a competitor program. MUSC claims that the employees planned a mass departure to join HCA Healthcare’s Trident Medical Center to establish a head and neck practice. The lawsuit alleges the misappropriation of confidential information, including physician preference cards and instrument lists. MUSC is seeking an injunction and damages. Trade secret disputes are increasingly common in the healthcare industry.