Opinion ID: 3015187
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Gordon’s Complaint

Text: In his June 25, 1999 Complaint subsequently amended on February 2, 2000,10 Gordon asserted eight claims under the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1-2, against the Hospital. He alleged five claims invoking Section 1 of the Sherman Act. 15 U.S.C. § 1. In Count I, he alleged that the Conditions governing his reappointment to the Medical-Dental Staff in 1996 constituted a contract in restraint of trade given that the Conditions prevented him from competing to retain or obtain business by providing information to patients regarding their surgical decisions and by foreclosing him from supplying services in the relevant physician ophthalmic service markets (“Conditions as restraint of trade”). Count II asserted that the Hospital illegally tied its outpatient cataract facility services to the purchase of ophthalmic services from a Geisinger physician, 10 We note that in addition to this action, Gordon mounted various challenges to the revocation of his privileges. Two court actions filed in Pennsylvania state courts were summarily dismissed and upheld on appeal. Gordon v. Lewistown Hospital, 729 A.2d 1284 (Pa. Cmwlth. Ct. 1999) and Gordon v. Lewistown Hospital, No. 01071 HGB 1998 (Pa. Super. Ct. March 16, 1999). 18 Nancollas (“illegal tying”). In Count IV, Gordon contended that the Hospital and Geisinger entered into a reciprocal arrangement whereby Geisinger leased space from the Hospital on condition that the Hospital procure substantially all of its physician specialty services (including ophthalmology) from Geisinger (“reciprocal dealing”). Count V asserted that the Hospital engaged in a group boycott to exclude Gordon from the outpatient cataract surgery market (“group boycott”). In Count VI, Gordon plead that the Hospital engaged in exclusive dealing (“exclusive dealing”). Gordon also asserted three (3) claims invoking Section 2 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2. He alleged in Count III that the Hospital attempted to monopolize the market for outpatient cataract facility services in the Lewistown area since 1996 (“attempted monopolization of facility services”) and in Counts VII and VIII that the Hospital conspired with Geisinger to monopolize, respectively, the outpatient facility services market and the physician inpatient, outpatient, and outpatient ophthalmic surgical services market (“conspiracy to monopolize markets”).