ThedaCare Loses Lawsuit

A Fox Valley hospital has lost a court effort to retain employees who took jobs elsewhere.

Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Mark McGinnis on Monday lifted an injunction, allowing seven members of ThedaCare’s stroke team in Neenah to take jobs with Ascension Wisconsin.

The seven accepted employment at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, and were scheduled to start working there last Friday. ThedaCare filed for an injunction, claiming Ascension recruited the workers and asking for time to hire replacements.

Attorneys for Ascension argued Monday that ThedaCare had known of the situation for weeks and should have prepared, rather than responding with a “frantic, last-minute lawsuit.”