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Doctor At Heart Of Stent Scandal Wants To Sue Former Employer

TOWSON, Md. (WJZ)—Legal limbo.  A judge will soon decide if a Maryland hospital will face a multi-million dollar lawsuit. The plaintiff is Dr. Mark Midei, an embattled cardiologist at the center of the stent scandal.

Adam May sat through hours of arguments.

On Wednesday, St. Joseph Medical Center wanted the case thrown out of court.  Midei's legal team accuses the hospital of defamation and fraud.

Midei was one of the nation's top cardiologists.He walked into court fighting to repair his reputation. He wants to sue his former employer, St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, for $60 million.

"They've clearly decimated his life financially and emotionally.  And this would be an opportunity to address those issues," said Midei's attorney, Steven Snyder.

The trouble started in 2009 when more than 500 of Midei's patients got a letter from St. Joseph.  It warned them they have received a stent surgery even though they didn't have seriously clogged arteries.

Some of the patients spoke to WJZ.

"It just doesn't seem right, doesn't seem right," said one patient.

Around the same time, the hospital agreed to pay the federal government a $22 million fine for allegations they were part of an illegal billing scheme.

Midei's legal team claims the stent scandal was blown out of proportion in a public relations ploy.

"He was made a scapegoat for St. Joe, who was under significant federal inquiry for misconduct that could have led to Medicaid defunding and punitive damages," Snyder said.

From day one,  Midei maintains he only treated patients who needed it.

"They were treated with the highest level of care," Midei said.

An attorney for St. Joseph argued in court that Midei doesn't have the right to sue them for defamation because he signed a release.

The judge said at least one of the allegations against St. Joe "disturbed the court."

His ruling on the future of the lawsuit could come any day.

Midei and St. Joseph Medical Center are also facing a number of civil lawsuits from patients.

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