Opinion ID: 172871
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: 2001 Rardin Investigation

Text: The first alleged incidents of retaliation arose in October 2001, when MHCC's counsel, at the direction of the hospital's Board of Trustees (the Board), solicited Thomas Rardin, a private investigator, to investigate the relationship between Drs. Couch and Cesko. As Rardin noted in his report of the investigation, the Board was concerned that the acrimonious relationship might adversely affect[] employees and the community. (Aplt. App. 471.) After interviewing numerous staff members, and the doctors themselves, Rardin concluded both doctors had engaged in inappropriate conduct towards each other. [2] Rardin's report recommended that the hospital should send a letter to both doctors telling them to stop and either get along or maturely tolerate each other, and discussed the possibility of psychological testing. (Id. at 421.) MHCC's Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Judy Merrill, adopted Rardin's recommendation and sent Dr. Couch a letter, which acknowledged that the report uncovered disruptive conduct, and that clarified hospital procedures, instructed him not to ask people about Dr. Cesko's personal life and not to make disparaging comments about Dr. Cesko, and to follow the established chain of command with regards to all complaints about hospital staff. Ms. Merrill sent a similar letter to Dr. Cesko. Dr. Couch considered that the letter only asked [him] to do [ ] things [he] was already doing. (Id. at 981.)