Theoria Medical, a Michigan-based physician group serving skilled nursing and senior living facilities, has been a repeat plaintiff in lawsuits against departing clinicians who left before satisfying a six-month notice clause, and it is a defendant in a federal breach-of-contract case brought by healthcare software vendor Symplr. The Theoria Medical lawsuit record, along with employee reviews, shows a company that routinely turns to courts to enforce its provider agreements, with mixed results.
The Voros Case and the Six-Month Notice Clause
The most detailed public case is Theoria’s 2021 suit against Victoria Voros, a physician assistant hired in May 2020. Voros signed a two-year employment agreement effective June 1, 2020 that required six months’ written notice from either side before ending the relationship. She gave notice on November 2, 2020 and left on November 16, well short of the contractual window. Theoria sued in Oakland County Circuit Court on three counts: breach of contract, business defamation, and fraud in the inducement.1Michigan Courts. Theoria Medical PLLC v. Victoria Voros, No. 21-185819-CB
Voros pushed back in her filings, alleging that Theoria’s patient care practices were “unsafe” and involved “strange and likely improper approaches to patient care,” and arguing the six-month notice requirement was not enforceable.1Michigan Courts. Theoria Medical PLLC v. Victoria Voros, No. 21-185819-CB
On October 21, 2021, Judge Martha D. Anderson issued a split ruling. Theoria could pursue recruitment and replacement costs tied to Voros’s abrupt departure, but not the professional licensing fees it had reimbursed her, which the court found were not a direct result of the alleged breach. The defamation count was dismissed because Voros’s statements had gone to an internal company representative rather than a third party, and Theoria had not pleaded the claim with the required specificity. The fraud-in-the-inducement count was dismissed as legally incompatible with Theoria’s own theory: fraud in the inducement is used to void a contract, and Theoria was trying to enforce one.2Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Employment Contract Notice
The ruling was interlocutory. Available records do not show a final judgment, verdict, or publicly reported settlement on the surviving breach claim.
The Hester Case
A second provider case, Theoria Medical v. Hester (No. 2022-193805-CK), was also filed in Oakland County Circuit Court. Judge Victoria A. Valentine ruled on the defendant’s motion for summary disposition on August 12, 2022. Theoria moved for reconsideration, which was granted in part on September 21, 2022 only to correct a clerical error in the caption. The underlying claims and final outcome are not detailed in the available court opinions.3Michigan Courts. Theoria Medical v. Hester, No. 2022-193805-CK
Symplr Software v. Theoria Medical
In federal court, Theoria is on the defense. Symplr Software LLC, a credentialing and enrollment services vendor,4Symplr. Symplr Provider sued Theoria in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (2:2023cv10698). The parties signed a credentialing services contract on January 26, 2023. Symplr alleges Theoria terminated it six days later, on February 1, and sued for breach.
Theoria filed counterclaims for breach of contract and fraudulent inducement, arguing Symplr had promised during pre-contract talks to begin credentialing work “immediately” and failed to do so. Symplr answered that the written contract set no deadlines for starting or finishing the work and contained a merger clause making the written agreement supersede all prior representations.5vLex. Symplr Software LLC v. Theoria Medical PLLC
On March 17, 2025, Judge Laurie J. Michelson granted Symplr’s motion to dismiss Theoria’s first amended countercomplaint, cutting off Theoria’s affirmative claims in the case.5vLex. Symplr Software LLC v. Theoria Medical PLLC
What Former Employees Say About Contract Enforcement
The lawsuits are not isolated, according to online reviews from people who identify as former Theoria clinicians. A 2022 Glassdoor review from a self-described physician and medical director alleged the company “threatens providers with lawsuits all the time for trying to leave” and was “currently suing employees for defamation.” The reviewer told prospective hires to have the employment contract reviewed by a lawyer and recommended against signing it.6Glassdoor. Theoria Medical Employee Reviews
Theoria responded to that review publicly, saying: “It is Theoria’s position to utilize the judicial system when necessary to enforce contractual obligations and protect our patients,” and adding that “companies at times may have to resort to legal methods to enforce contractual obligations that impact patient care.”6Glassdoor. Theoria Medical Employee Reviews
A 2025 Indeed review from a manager alleged that “contracts have been changed or revoked without warning, sometimes with legal threats.” A 2024 review flagged “the long notice period” as a downside of the job.7Indeed. Theoria Medical Reviews These accounts are unverified and reflect individual views, but they line up with the pattern visible in the court filings.
About the Company
Theoria Medical was founded by Dr. Justin Di Rezze, a former hospitalist and skilled nursing facility medical director who remains CEO.8Skilled Nursing News. SNN Rethink Fireside Chat With Theoria Medical The company is headquartered in Novi, Michigan and provides on-site and telemedicine primary care to patients in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, and other senior care settings nationwide.9Theoria Medical. Theoria Medical It participates in Medicare’s High-Needs Accountable Care Organization model, taking on financial risk in exchange for shared savings.