Opinion ID: 2165857
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Harm to Reputations

Text: The circuit court found that the Policy would cause appellees to suffer reputational injury because in the future, appellees must attempt to explain to patients, other institutions, or liability insurance companies that termination of their privileges was not due to their training, competency, or fitness as cardiologists. Baptist contends that even assuming, without conceding, that the application of the Policy would cause appellees to suffer damage to their reputations, the damage does not constitute irreparable harm sufficient to warrant the granting of a preliminary injunction. We agree. In Kreutzer v. Clark, 271 Ark. 243, 607 S.W.2d 670 (1980), appellant, a physician, sought a temporary restraining order after he was notified that his contract of employment with Boone County Hospital would be terminated. Appellant alleged that his contract was illegally terminated and that the termination would cause him irreparable harm, in that it would damage his professional reputation and hinder his chances of obtaining acceptable employment. We rejected this argument, stating: We could not more forcefully disagree. These arguments are available anytime an employment contract is terminated. The chancellor need not indulge speculation about appellant's future employment opportunities in deciding the legal question here. No ground is lost by the denial of the interlocutory order which cannot be recouped in a court of law by a favorable judgment and an award of money damages. Kreutzer, 271 Ark. at 245, 607 S.W.2d at 671. Here, the circuit court concluded that the denial of privileges would be harmful to the reputations of the physicians and that this finding constituted a reason for issuing the injunction. This finding is clearly erroneous. Pursuant to our holding in Kreutzer , we hold that in this case, the alleged potential damage to professional reputations does not justify a finding of irreparable harm sufficient for the issuance of a preliminary injunction.