Opinion ID: 159841
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Double Coverage of Plaintiffs' Shifts at Cottonwood Hospital

Text: 20 After the agreement was made, Dr. Matthews informed Dr. Kaminsky that he would be double covered, meaning that whenever Dr. Kaminsky was on the labor and delivery schedule, there would also be another anesthesiologist (selected by Dr. Matthews) scheduled. The anesthesiologist selected by Dr. Matthews would be the one who would provide anesthesiology services to the patients of Cottonwood Ob/Gyn in labor and delivery. 4 Dr. Matthews offered Drs. Diehl and Diaz two non-double covered shifts per month, with the possibility for increased work for Cottonwood Ob/Gyn patients in the future if their ob/gyn skills were deemed acceptable. Dr. Diaz accepted this offer, but Dr. Diehl declined and was then subject to being double covered. Subsequently, Cottonwood Ob/Gyn requested that Dr. Diaz not perform anesthesia on its obstetrical patients because of poor performance; therefore, Dr. Diaz was ultimately double covered as well. The double coverage policy operated to preclude the plaintiffs from performing anesthesia services on Cottonwood Ob/Gyn patients in the labor and delivery suite. Whenever they were scheduled in labor and delivery, Dr. Matthews or an anesthesiologist selected by him was scheduled as well. The other anesthesiologist performed the anesthesiology services for the Cottonwood Ob/Gyn patients in labor and delivery. 21 Plaintiffs were also ultimately double covered for Cottonwood Ob/Gyn patients seen in the OR after physicians in the OR indicated that they would prefer not to be scheduled with them. In addition, the plaintiffs allege that the effects of the agreement and the double coverage policy have been extended as Dr. Matthews has asked other groups of obstetricians and gynecologists who deliver babies at Cottonwood to enter into agreements similar to the one he had with Cottonwood Ob/Gyn. 22 On March 7, 1994, Dr. Matthews sent a letter to Dr. Alan Rappeleye of Old Farm Ob/Gyn in an attempt to solicit Old Farm Ob/Gyn to enter into an agreement similar to the agreement he had with Cottonwood Ob/Gyn. On June 8, 1994, Old Farm Ob/Gyn sent a letter to Cottonwood Ob/Gyn indicating that Old Farm Ob/Gyn would abide by the Cottonwood Ob/Gyn agreement. Plaintiffs allege that the June 8th letter serves as evidence of a horizontal agreement between Old Farm Ob/Gyn and Cottonwood Ob/Gyn to boycott plaintiffs. H. Procedural History 23 The plaintiffs sued under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. 1 (1990), 5 alleging that the defendants engaged in a conspiracy that unreasonably restrained trade. They argued that the conduct at issue amounted to a horizontal group boycott that merited per se condemnation under the antitrust laws. They conceded to the district court that they did not have sufficient evidence to proceed under a theory that the alleged conduct violated the rule of reason. 24 The district court granted the individual defendants' motion for summary judgment and dismissed the plaintiffs' antitrust claims against all of the defendants after finding that per se treatment was inappropriate for three reasons: (1) the boycott alleged by the plaintiffs was not the type that has been historically shown to always or almost always negatively affect competition; (2) a preliminary examination of market conditions did not reveal any anticompetitive impact; and (3) the defendants offered procompetitive justifications for their actions. The district court then declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over plaintiffs' defamation and tortious interference with economic relations claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1367, and dismissed those claims without prejudice. Plaintiffs do not appeal that dismissal. 25 In this appeal, plaintiffs allege that the district court relied on an inaccurate and inconsistent characterization of the facts, and they maintain that the per se rule applies to the conduct of the defendants.