Coastline Is Sued Over Healthcare Contract

The owner of a medical clinic that once provided student health services at Coastline Community College filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that the college district is improperly trying to extend the $500,000 annual contract of a competitor without seeking bids.

Dr. Winston Cheshire, whose Cheshire Medical Corp. ran the clinic from 1993 to 1998, is seeking an injunction to prevent the Coast Community College board of trustees from approving a new five-year contract.

College officials, however, said the district intends to extend the contract for Prompt Care Family Medicine, the company that succeeded Cheshire, for only one year and would invite other bidders for the next five-year term. Trustees will vote on the matter Wednesday, district spokeswoman Erin Cohn said.

The district’s bidding process includes factors -- such as types of services offered -- in addition to cost, she said.

In addition to its complaint about the bidding process, the lawsuit by Cheshire notes that the president of Prompt Care’s parent company, Dr. Jamie Lewis, is on the board of the Coastline Community College Foundation, which plays a pivotal role “in the life” of the college.

“We are not saying there was a conflict of interest,” said Cheshire’s attorney, Dale K. Quinlan, “but we are asking the court to look into it to make sure nothing is improper.”

According to the lawsuit, Cheshire made attempts to ensure that the new contract would be awarded through an open bidding process. The suit alleges he was told by Coastline’s vice president for student services, John Breihan, that the law did not require any bids for the health services contract.

Cohn reiterated that view Wednesday, citing the opinion of college attorneys. “We are well within the law, and of course we’re acting in the best interests of our students. Our priority is to make sure our students have the best healthcare services.”