Piedmont Hospital drops out of Promina Health System

ATLANTA - Piedmont Hospital announced Monday that it will leave Promina Health System amid fallout over the hospital network losing a projected $80 million on insurance contracts. <br> <br> The Piedmont defection, rumored for months, was not expected to immediately affect metro Atlanta patients, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday. <br> <br> Promina, a nonprofit hospital alliance in metro Atlanta, is now left with five hospitals, including Gwinnett Medical Center, DeKalb Medical Center and Southern Regional Medical Center. <br> <br> ``Piedmont will be better able to control costs and initiate managed care contracts that are in the best interest of our local communities by working independently,&#39;&#39; Piedmont Medical Center president and CEO Tim Stack said. <br> <br> Experts said the pullout reflects a trend that many hospitals, even as independent entities, hold bargaining clout in negotiations with HMOs and other health insurers. <br> <br> Piedmont Medical Center owns Piedmont Hospital and Fayette Community Hospital in Fayetteville, which plans to leave Promina, as well. <br> <br> Three years ago, Promina lost the five-hospital WellStar system, based in Cobb County, because of a difference in operating philosophy.