Amy Ahnert, MD, who spent 17 years employed by the health system, alleged in the suit that she was paid substantially less than her male counterparts and was denied benefits.
The suit also claims the discrimination began when she arrived at the health system as a hospitalist and during her fellowship when her program director tried to “blackball” her from becoming an attending physician.
When she did become a cardiologist at the health system, she was allegedly paid $50,000 less during her first year than LVHN’s standard compensation rate. She was paid substantially less than her male counterparts throughout her time at LVHN, which ended in January 2024, the suit alleged, despite taking on added responsibilities.
In 2019, Dr. Ahnert applied for the chief of cardiology position but was not selected, as LVHN left the role vacant without explanation or feedback, the lawsuit states. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ahnert took on the responsibilities of a de facto chief of cardiology without additional pay, yet LVHN later announced it would not fill the position. Moreover, Dr. Ahnert said she was consistently a top performer during her 17-year tenure.
In 2022, Ahnert claims she returned from vacation to find her office cleared out for a new male chief of cardiology, and around the same time, her pay was reduced and she was removed from her leadership role.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, LVHN declined to comment on ongoing litigation.