Louisiana Health System Wins Antitrust Appeal Over LSU Hospital

Willis-Knighton Medical Center escaped antitrust litigation over the Shreveport, La., regional health care market, when a federal appeals court in New Orleans rejected claims that it bullied a Louisiana State University medical campus into ending its relationship with a rival hospital operator.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled against BRFHH Shreveport LLC, which had accused Willis-Knighton of exploiting a cash crisis at LSU by offering a $50 million donation to curtail its dealings with BRF. BRF ran the campus hospital under the name University Health Shreveport.

Judge Andrew S. Oldham, writing for the court, said the ...