Pittsburgh-Area Hospital Settles Suit for $100K

A Pittsburgh-area hospital has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a federal disability discrimination suit brought by a woman who was fired after suffering from colon cancer treatments.

LifeCare Hospitals of Pittsburgh Inc. was sued by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last year on behalf of 46-year-old Diana Altieri-Hand, of Murrysville.

The woman was business manager at the Wilkinsburg-based hospital and claims officials there didn’t accommodate her after colon cancer surgery and chemotherapy. The woman says hospital officials demanded she return to work full-time in August 2007, then unfairly scrutinized her work and wrongly fired her.

The hospital isn’t commenting on the settlement the EEOC announced, which a judge must still approve.