The suit by Sharon Dill, was filed against her former employer, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, and 21st Century Oncology. She served as CHRO from 2012-2015. Christina Sievert, who worked as vice president of clinical financial services for the same center from 2013-2015, joined Dill in the suit.
The suit, filed last year, but only recently unsealed, also alleges that both cancer-care providers engaged in gender discrimination, fraudulent Medicare billing and unsafe medical practices. Dill said she was fired when she informed her former employer of a disability and Sievert said her employer fired her in retaliation for her gender discrimination claims.
“They were privy to a number of wrongdoings,” said Benjamin Yormak, the attorney for Dill and Sievert. “If you look at the services 21st Century provides and Florida Cancer on a national basis or through the state of Florida, you’ll notice that they should be direct competitors. If you look at the services offered, say, from Sarasota-Bradenton to Marco (Island), you’ll notice that there’s not competition between them.”
Florida Cancer Specialists’ chief legal officer, Tom Clark, said in a written statement that “we take these allegations seriously and are looking into the matter.”