Case Title: Mississippi Ethics Com'n v. Aseme

Citation: 583 So. 2d 955

Docket Number: 07-CA-59343

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1991-07-03T00:00:00Z

Document:
583 So. 2d 955 (1991) The STATE of MISSISSIPPI, By and Through the Mississippi ETHICS COMMISSION, a State Agency; Walter Brown, Gene L. Fair, Mark G. Hazard, Ben H. Stone, Nina B. Goolsby, Delos H. Burks, Elizabeth C. Powers, and John Allen Darnell, in Their Official Capacities as Members of the Mississippi Ethics Commission v. Kate N. ASEME, M.D., Mississippi Hospital Association and Mississippi State Medical Association. No. 07-CA-59343. Supreme Court of Mississippi. July 3, 1991. *956 Mike C. Moore, Atty. Gen., Larry E. Clark, Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellants. George Q. Evans, Wise Carter Child & Caraway, R. Mark Hodges, Wise Carter Firm, Jackson, Burke C. Murphy, Jr., Canton, for appellees. Before DAN M. LEE, P.J., and PRATHER and PITTMAN, JJ. DAN M. LEE, Presiding Justice, for the Court: Today's case challenges the grant of summary judgment in a suit seeking declaratory judgment regarding the relationship between a public hospital and a physician who has been granted staff privileges at that public hospital. The Chancery Court of Hinds County, the Honorable Stuart Robinson presiding, determined that as a matter of law, such relationship does not, in and of itself, create a contract such that service of the physician upon the Board of Trustees of the institution violates Article 4, § 109 of the Mississippi Constitution and Mississippi Code Annotated § 25-4-105(2) (Supp. 1990). We affirm. On June 16, 1987, in response to an inquiry regarding possible conflicts of interest if a medical doctor with staff privileges at a local, publicly-owned, community hospital was selected to sit on the Board of Trustees of that same institution, the Mississippi Ethics Commission [Commission] issued Advisory Opinion No. 87-36-E. In this advisory opinion the Commission concluded that Dr. Kate N. Aseme, a member of the Mississippi State Medical Association, has enjoyed medical staff privileges at Forrest General Hospital since 1977. During August of 1987 Dr. Aseme was appointed to a five (5) year term on the Board of Trustees of Forrest General Hospital. The Mississippi State Medical Association requested a reconsideration of Advisory Opinion 87-36-E by letter dated September 25, 1987. On October 2, 1987, the Commission heard oral arguments in support of the request for reconsideration, and on October 29, 1987, issued a clarifying Memorandum stating that Advisory Opinion 87-36-E would remain in full force and effect pending consideration of the reconsideration requests. The clarification memorandum reiterated that the Commission would not place this issue on its November 6, 1987, agenda, but the Commission would accept additional written materials on the issue of reconsideration through November 23, 1987. The record contains no other action taken by the Commission on the issue of reconsideration. Dr. Aseme's reappointment to the medical staff of Forrest General Hospital was scheduled to be considered by the Forrest General Hospital Board of Trustees on March 15, 1988. On December 29, 1987, the Mississippi State Medical Association, the Mississippi Hospital Association [the Associations] and Dr. Aseme filed suit against the Commission in the Chancery Court of Hinds County, Mississippi seeking a declaratory judgment pursuant to M.R.C.P. 57 regarding Advisory Opinion 87-36-E. An Amended Complaint was filed January 4, 1988. In their complaint Dr. Aseme and the Associations alleged that: The Commission filed its Answer March 14, 1988. On March 30, 1988, Dr. Aseme and the Associations moved for summary judgment. The Commission moved for summary judgment on April 13, 1988. On May 24, 1988, finding that the case presented a question of pure law which was ideally suited for disposition through summary judgment, the Chancellor rendered his Opinion. The Opinion held that the mere grant of medical staff privileges does not constitute a contract between the public hospital and staff physician, reversed the Advisory Opinion of the Commission and granted summary judgment to Dr. Aseme and the Associations. We employ a de novo standard in reviewing a lower court's grant of a summary judgment motion. Cossitt v. Federated Guaranty Mut. Ins. Co., 541 So. 2d 436, 438 (Miss. 1989); Short v. Columbus Rubber & Gasket Co., Inc., 535 So. 2d 61, 63 (1988). Thus, we use the same standard that was used in the trial court. 10 Wright, Miller & Kane, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2716 (1983 and Supp. 1988). We must review all evidentiary matters before us in the record: affidavits, depositions, admissions, interrogatories, etc. The evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, who is to be given the benefit of every reasonable doubt. Smith v. Sanders, 485 So. 2d 1051, 1054 (Miss. 1986); Dennis v. Searle, 457 So. 2d 941, 944 (Miss. 1984). The burden of demonstrating that no genuine issue of fact exists is on the movant. Short v. Columbus Rubber and Gasket Co., 535 So. 2d 61, 63-64 (Miss. 1988). A motion for summary judgment lies only when there is no genuine issue of material fact, and the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. M.R.C.P. 56(c). The Court does not try issues on a Rule 56 motion, it only determines whether there are issues to be tried. In reaching this determination, the Court examines affidavits and other evidence to determine whether a triable issue exists, rather than for the purpose of resolving that issue. Comment, M.R.C.P. 56. In passing on questions of law our review is de novo. Harrison County v. City of Gulfport, 557 So. 2d 780, 784 (Miss. 1990); Cole v. National Life Ins. Co., 549 So. 2d 1301, 1303 (Miss. 1989); Busching v. Griffin, 542 So. 2d 860, 863 (Miss. 1989); Boggs v. Eaton, 379 So. 2d 520, 522 (Miss. 1980). This Court has the responsibility of making the final interpretations of our State's Constitution. Frazier v. State By and Through Pittman, 504 So. 2d 675, 694 (Miss. 1987). "The landmark case involving interpretation of Article 4, Section 109 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 and certain portions of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-4-105 (Supp. 1987) was Frazier v. State by and through Pittman, 504 So. 2d 675 (Miss. 1987)." Smith v. Dorsey, 530 So. 2d 5, 9 (Miss. 1988) (Prather, J. concurring in part and dissenting in part). Article 4, Section 109 Frazier v. State By and Through Pittman, 504 So. 2d 675, 693-94 (Miss. 1987). The facts of this case are undisputed. "At the outset, it is clear that no genuine issue of material fact exists with respect to this issue. The only question is one of law involving an analysis of case law and interpretation of the applicable statute. Our only question is whether the lower court reached the correct conclusion of law." Cossitt v. Federated Guar. Mut. Ins. Co., 541 So. 2d 436, 439 (Miss. 1989). The question of law is whether the grant of medical staff privileges by a public hospital in and of itself creates a contract between the hospital and physician within the meaning of Article 4, Section 109. Prior to determining whether the grant of medical staff privileges constitutes a contract, it is necessary to determine exactly what constitutes "staff privileges." Engelstad v. Virginia Mun. Hosp., 718 F.2d 262, 267 (8th Cir.1983) [emphasis added]. The relationship between a physician with staff privileges and the hospital granting the staff privileges was addressed in the case upon which the trial court relied in reaching its decision, Trapp v. Cayson, 471 So. 2d 375 (Miss. 1985). Trapp, a medical malpractice case, had three (3) defendants North Mississippi Medical Center, Dr. James T. Trapp and Radiology of Tupelo, P.A. The trial court directed a verdict in favor of North Mississippi Medical Center. Id. at 376. The directed verdict was challenged on cross-appeal based, in part, upon the relationship between the radiologist in question, Dr. Trapp, with the Medical Center: Trapp v. Cayson, 471 So. 2d at 383-385 [emphasis added]. In the case sub judice the uncontested facts show, and the trial court so *960 found, that aside from having staff privileges and being a member of the Board of Trustees for Forrest General Hospital, Dr. Aseme had no verbal or written contracts with the hospital. Additionally, Dr. Aseme received no compensation from the hospital, her income coming from her private practice in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Dr. Aseme was not hired by Forrest General Hospital to administer services on behalf of the hospital, nor did the hospital hold itself out as offering the services of Dr. Aseme. As a private physician with staff privileges at Forrest General Hospital, Dr. Aseme was free to place, or not place, her private patients at that institution as she saw fit. Therefore, based on the foregoing authorities and the particular facts of this case, the trial court did not err in finding that as a matter of law the grant of staff privileges in and of itself does not constitute a contract within the meaning of Article 4, Section 109, reversing the opinion of the Ethics Commission and granting summary judgment for Dr. Aseme. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS, P.J., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, PITTMAN, BANKS and McRAE, JJ., concur.