Indiana physician fired for objecting to EMR time goals, lawsuit claims 

A physician at Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health Physicians has sued the health system, saying he was demoted and then terminated after objecting to limiting EMR time to 10 minutes, Indiana Business Journal reported May 16. 

Brian Leon, MD, an internal medicine physician at the health system's primary care facility, specifically is suing Indiana University Health Care Associates, a medical practice of physicians that operates as a joint venture between IU Health and the IU School of Medicine. 

In his suit, Dr. Leon alleges IU Health Physicians had an annual deficit of more than $200 million from 2016 to 2018, and because of that deficit, system leaders pressured physicians to see as many patients as possible, including setting a time goal of 10 minutes per EMR. 

Dr. Leon said he expressed that the time goal was “woefully inadequate and inappropriate for his patients’ highly complex illnesses,” his complaint stated.

In response, the suit states, IU Health leaders relieved him of his position as both the medical director of the south central region and local leader of the medical practice.

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