Opinion ID: 2630912
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Hospitals may be liable for the acts of their independent contractor doctors under the ostensible agency doctrine adopted in Schlotfeldt

Text: Given our prior holding in Schlotfeldt v. Charter Hospital of Las Vegas , where we adopted the ostensible agency doctrine, we conclude that Renown could be held liable under that theory. 112 Nev. 42, 48, 910 P.2d 271, 275 (1996). In Schlotfeldt , we considered the acts of an independent contractor doctor who attended to a patient at a drug and alcohol treatment center. Id. at 43-44, 910 P.2d at 272. The independent contractor doctor attended to Schlotfeldt at the request of a Charter Hospital psychiatrist who was busy with other patients. Id. Charter did not release Schlotfeldt, despite her requests to return home, because, based on the independent contractor doctor's conclusions, she was a suicide risk and releasing her would be imprudent. Id. at 44, 910 P.2d at 272. The patient sued the treatment center for false imprisonment, and the district court instructed the jury that the treatment center was vicariously liable for the doctor's acts because the treatment center chose the doctor to examine Schlotfeldt. Id. at 46-47, 910 P.2d at 274. Charter opposed such an instruction because the existence of an agency relationship between Charter and the doctor was a question of fact for the jury. Id. at 48, 910 P.2d at 275. We agreed with Charter. Id. at 49, 910 P.2d at 275. Consequently, we adopted an approach known as ostensible agency, which applies when a patient goes to the hospital and the hospital selects the doctor to treat the patient, such that it is reasonable for the patient to assume the doctor is an agent of the hospital. Id. at 48, 910 P.2d at 275. We identified typical fact questions that arise under ostensible agency, including: (1) whether the patient entrusted herself to the hospital, (2) whether the hospital selected the doctor, (3) whether the patient reasonably believed the doctor was an agent of the hospital, and (4) whether the patient had notice of the doctor's independent contractor status. Id. at 49, 910 P.2d at 275. Whether a patient can demonstrate these factors remains a question for the jury. Id. at 48-49, 910 P.2d at 275. Here, we see no compelling reason why Schlotfeldt should not apply to substantially similar factual scenarios that involve independent contractor emergency room doctors. Like the patient in Schlotfeldt , Vanderford and Christopher entrusted themselves to Renown by going to its emergency room. They did not choose a doctor for Christopher, but were subject to the choice by Renown, as is the case in most emergency room scenarios. The remaining two questions, focusing on Vanderford's reasonable beliefs and whether Vanderford had notice, are subject to the jury's fact-finding but present a situation quite similar to the treatment center discussed in Schlotfeldt . Public policy supports this decision as well because under an ostensible agency approach, hospitals may be liable for the malpractice of independent contractor emergency room physicians. This theory allows tort victims recovery by demonstrating facts that are often present in an emergency room setting, while not judicially creating an absolute duty on hospitals that is better left to the Legislature to impose. Moreover, the typical questions of fact discussed in Schlotfeldt that make up the ostensible agency inquiry are similar to section 429 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts and the nonabsolute nondelegable duty adopted in Simmons II. See Schlotfeldt, 112 Nev. at 49, 910 P.2d at 275. The Simmons II approach presents an approach no different than the ostensible agency doctrine we articulated in Schlotfeldt . Whether it is called a nonabsolute nondelegable duty or ostensible agency, the result remains the same: hospitals may be held liable for the acts of independent contractor emergency room doctors if the hospital selects the doctor and it is reasonable for the patient to assume that the doctor is an agent of the hospital.