General surgeon Linda Leckman, chief executive officer of the 490-member IHC physician group, was the only doctor to speak on behalf of IHC Thursday. That group, formed in 1996, has helped improve the quality of care for patients through initiatives such as the development of an electronic medical record and the recruitment of specialists to areas in need, Leckman said.

Her fellow panelists, however, disputed the accomplishments touted by Leckman, especially for those outside IHC's network.

The three-hour panel discussion was cordial Thursday, although two physicians did note they were hesitant to speak against IHC for fear of reprisal.

The Privately Owned Health Care Organization Task Force was born out of legislation in the 2005 legislation session that would have imposed a 3 percent gross-receipts tax on IHC. It was later modified to require the nonprofit company to divest itself of its health-care business.

The bill and its substitute generated much controversy, which was later settled with the formation of the task force to conduct in-depth studies of IHC and other privately held health-care organizations over the next two years.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com