Opinion ID: 779904
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Precedent from Other Circuits

Text: 29 Appellants point to cases from other circuits where peer-review committees were granted absolute immunity, suggesting that these cases are indistinguishable from the present case. While the cases are similar in many respects, each of them involved slightly, yet significantly, different facts. 30 In Kwoun v. Southeast Missouri Professional Standards Review Organization, 811 F.2d 401 (8th Cir.1987), the members of the peer-review organization had no authority to impose sanctions or discipline themselves and were subject to the direct supervision of a federal agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, the procedure outlined by the federal statute allowed for full administrative review. Id. at 409. Here, there is no mandatory review by the state agency, the discipline is administered at the hospital level, and there is no meaningful right of appeal or review in Appellee's particular circumstances. 31 In Ostrzenski v. Seigel, 177 F.3d 245 (4th Cir.1999), the doctor performing the review had no authority to discipline anyone, could only make recommendations to the state medical board (which had the sole authority to discipline doctors), and the subject of the review was entitled to notice and a hearing before any disciplinary action could be taken. Id. at 250-51. 32 The present case is significantly different than the above cases. There are no significant procedural safeguards. Additionally, these other cases involved direct oversight by a government agency as well as a right to appeal to that agency. Here, there is very minimal and undefined oversight by the state medical board and no explicit right of appeal to that board. 33 We AFFIRM the district court's denial of absolute immunity.