Statement from Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants and Mednax Services, Inc.

Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants ("Southeast"), an affiliate of MEDNAX, Inc. MD today filed a motion with the North Carolina Business Court seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Atrium Health and Dr. Thomas Wherry's Scope Anesthesia.

The motion seeking a temporary restraining order is necessary given that for some time, Dr. Wherry and Atrium have been attempting to recruit physicians from Southeast, in violation of the contract Southeast has with Atrium as well as contrary to statements both Atrium and Dr. Wherry have made to the press. The motion requests the judge to order the defendants to cease such solicitation immediately.

Additionally, the motion seeking a preliminary injunction details how Atrium and Dr. Wherry improperly obtained highly proprietary information related to staffing the anesthesia treatment locations where Southeast currently provides services.

Despite Atrium's continued attempts to impugn our practice and our intent, Southeast and MEDNAX are proven assets to Charlotte and the surrounding region. Our 88 physicians stand ready, willing and able to continue serving patients as we have done faithfully and tirelessly since 1981.

Atrium Health and Southeast have built one of the highest quality anesthesia programs in the country that took years to develop and refine. We believe Atrium is destroying a highly successful program as a means to improve its bottom line, with little consideration for the potential damage it can do to the communities that it serves as the region's public hospital system.

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