Opinion ID: 1593633
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: should the trial court have held dr. wansley to the standard of a neurosurgeon or neurologist?

Text: ¶ 20. Hubbard argues that Dr. Wansley should have been held to the standard of a neurosurgeon or neurologist because he assumed the duties of a neurosurgeon or neurologist when he treated Hubbard's subarachnoid hemorrhage and failed to notify the consulting neurologist, Dr. Richard Gorman, of Hubbard's medical condition. ¶ 21. In West, we reiterate[d] that a physician may be held to the standard of care of another specialty other than his own, if the physician assumes the duties of the specialty. 661 So.2d at 720 (citing Lewis v. Soriano, 374 So.2d 829, 831 (Miss. 1979)). In Lewis, this Court found that the defendant doctor, a specialist in family practice, should have been held to the standard of an orthopedic surgeon. Lewis was involved in a motorcycle accident and was examined by Dr. Soriano. The examination revealed that Lewis had sustained multiple bruises, lacerations and abrasions, a fractured talus, complicated by posterior dislocation of the talus, and was bordering on shock. Id. at 830. This Court held that because Dr. Soriano, a family practitioner, assured Lewis that he could treat the fracture and undertook the responsibility of treating the fracture, he should be held to the standard of an orthopedic surgeon. [9] Id. at 831. ¶ 22. The heightened standard of care principle from Lewis was further explained in Adkins v. Sanders, 871 So.2d 732 (Miss. 2004). In Adkins, this Court held that it was proper for the trial court to find that the defendant, an obstetrician/gynecologist, should not be held to the standard of a rheumatologist: Unlike the physician in Lewis, Dr. Sanders did not admit that he assumed responsibility as a specialist in another medical discipline, i.e., as [the plaintiff's] rheumatologist. He did not admit that the care that was given was inferior to the treatment she could have gotten from a specialist. Dr. Sanders did not assure that he could achieve a good result nor did he claim to possess the skills necessary to treat her condition which resulted from lupus. In fact, Dr. Sanders made significant efforts by referrals to other physicians in an effort to determine the nature of [the plaintiffs] complications and the appropriate treatments. Adkins, 871 So.2d at 737. [10] The Court found that Dr. Sanders's knowledge of the plaintiff's lupus when he began treating her as an obstetrician during her pregnancy did not cause him to assume the duties of a rheumatologist. Id. at 740. ¶ 23. Although our precedents do not provide a specific test for determining whether a defendant doctor of one specialty should be held to the standard of another specialty, at least two common factors should be considered in determining whether a doctor has assumed the duties of another specialty: whether assurances were given by the doctor to the patient; and whether consultations or referrals to a doctor of another specialty were, or should have been, made. ¶ 24. In this case, there is no claim and no evidence that Dr. Wansley gave any specific assurances to Hubbard about the treatment of her subarachnoid hemorrhage. The dispute in this case is whether Dr. Wansley consulted Dr. Gorman, Hubbard's consulting neurologist, when she was admitted to the intensive care unit. ¶ 25. According to Hubbard, Dr. Gorman was not consulted until 6:00 p.m. on May 12, 1997, some thirty-two (32) hours after [her] fall at Biloxi Regional Medical Center and some twenty (20) hours after Dr. Wansley received confirmation from the emergency room physician, Dr. James Mitchell, that [she] was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Dr. Gorman's affidavit specifically states that he had no knowledge of Hubbard's readmission to the hospital until late in the afternoon on 5/12/97. [11] ¶ 26. Dr. Wansley claims that Dr. Gorman was notified in the early morning hours on May 12, 1997. On the physician order sheet, the orders given by Dr. Wansley to the physician in the emergency room, Dr. James Mitchell, included this order: Notify Dr. Gorman  please page. The words please page had been stricken through, and the words notified in the E.R. had been written to the side. [12] Dr. Wansley claims that it was not his responsibility to personally inform Dr. Gorman of the situation, and that it was not unreasonable for him to rely on the note written on the chart, which led him to believe that Dr. Gorman had been consulted. Dr. Wansley maintains that by ordering the consult with Dr. Gorman, he acted as a proper internal medicine doctor should have and that he should be held to that standard. ¶ 27. The crux of Hubbard's argument is that Dr. Gorman was not contacted soon enough. However, Dr. Wansley fulfilled his duty to contact Dr. Gorman emergently by ordering the consultation through the emergency room, where Hubbard was located at the time. Dr. Wansley gave the order for Dr. Gorman to be consulted immediately after hearing about Hubbard's condition. It is unclear as to whether any follow-up was done by Dr. Wansley to determine whether Dr. Gorman had been consulted, and if so, when. [13] What is clear is that he did not undertake to treat Hubbard's condition on his own to the exclusion of a neurologist. Dr. Wansley should not have been held to the standard of a neurologist or neurosurgeon.