Pratt Medical Center and one of its former physicians have reached an out-of-court settlement, which allows him to continue practicing in the Fredericksburg area.
Dr. Charles V. Amory, a pediatrician, told his colleagues recently that he and Pratt have resolved their legal differences.
Amory made the announcement in a signed letter to the medical staff at Mary Washington Hospital.
"We are pleased that the differences between Pratt Medical Center and Dr. Amory, including the matters which have been in litigation, could be resolved to the satisfaction of the parties," the letter said.
"I look forward to a long tenure in the Fredericksburg area," Amory added.
Efforts to reach Amory and his attorney, William C. Glover, were unsuccessful. Efforts to reach John C. Ivins Jr., Pratt's attorney, also were unsuccessful.
Out-of-court settlements frequently state that the parties involved cannot talk about the terms of the settlement.
Pratt went to court in April, claiming that Amory had violated the noncompete clause in his employment contract. Pratt attorneys asked the court for an injunction to close his new practice on Kilarney Drive in Spotsylvania County. Pratt also asked for more than $89,000 that it said Amory owed the clinic.
When Amory joined Pratt in 2000, he signed an employment contract that said if he resigned, he would not practice medicine for one year within 25 miles of a Pratt office.
Amory resigned from Pratt in March and opened Chancellor Pediatrics in April off State Route 3. Pratt, the area's largest clinic with about 21 doctors, went to court immediately, asking for the injunction.
Amory argued that he was not bound by the contract and was free to open the new office. He said he had been working for Pratt without an employment contract for more than two years.
The hearing in Spotsylvania Circuit Court was postponed several times. In June, Glover asked for another continuance, telling the court, "The parties have agreed to mediate. If the matter is not resolved in mediation, we will request that the motions be reset."
Court records now indicate that the case has been "continued generally." Amory's office was open yesterday.
To reach JIM HALL:
Email: jhall@freelancestar.com