Opinion ID: 1897190
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: stabler hospital

Text: A detailed recital of every fact developed by the evidence with regard to HCA's relationship to Stabler Hospital is unnecessary. Because we have already recited the material facts with regard to the HMC-operated hospitals' relationship to HCA, it will suffice here to state only a few facts that stand in contrast to those stated above. At the outset, we recognize HCA's contention that, when it purchased 100 percent of Stabler's stock, it did not substitute itself for Stabler's role as the entity operating the hospital. In other words, HCA contends that Stabler occupied the same corporate status as operator of the Greenville hospital as HMC occupied with respect to the Monroeville and Dothan hospitals. In many respects, we agree; but the evidence discloses certain material differences. As alluded to earlier, upon acquiring ownership of Stabler, HCA installed its own employee as the hospital's administrator. Stabler's president, secretary, and assistant secretary were officers of HCA. The record contains ample evidence from which the factfinder could reasonably infer that those supervisory employees directly responsible for the day-to-day operation of Stabler were officers or employees of HCA. From a functional point of view, Stabler Hospital's separate management activities relate almost entirely to corporate formalities, in sharp contrast to the evidence of HMC's day-to-day management activities on behalf of Monroe County Hospital and Flowers Hospital. We emphasize that we are not holding, as a matter of law, that the evidence establishes that HCA was the employer of the alleged tort-feasor in the Stabler Hospital case. Rather, we find from the totality of the evidence that a triable issue of fact exists with respect to HCA's status as the employer and with respect to the merits of the claim based on its alleged liability, so as to preclude disposition of the Black claim by way of summary judgment. AFFIRMED AS TO HCA IN CASES NUMBERED 85-1347, 85-1348, AND 85-1350; REVERSED AND REMANDED AS TO HCA IN CASE NUMBER 85-1349, WITH INSTRUCTIONS; REVERSED AND REMANDED AS TO HMC IN CASES NUMBERED 85-1347 AND 85-1348. MADDOX, ALMON, SHORES, BEATTY, ADAMS, HOUSTON and STEAGALL, JJ., concur.