Opinion ID: 1569136
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Kocher Case

Text: In Christopher Kocher's case, the delivering physician had timely provided notice of his participation in the plan, but Bayfront Medical Center (Bayfront), the hospital where Christopher was delivered, did not provide any notice. Bayfront Med. Cntr., Inc. v. Fla. Birth-Related Neurological Injury Comp. Ass'n, 841 So.2d 626, 627 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003), quashed, 955 So.2d 531 (Fla.2007). Christopher died as a result of his injuries, and Christopher's parents (the Kochers) filed a medical malpractice action against Bayfront. Id. at 627-28. Bayfront moved to abate the action, claiming that the Kochers must pursue remedies under NICA. Id. at 628. The case was submitted to an administrative law judge (ALJ), who concluded that (1) the infant's injuries were compensable under NICA; (2) the physician supplied the required notice but the hospital did not; (3) the failure of the hospital to provide notice precluded the application of the exclusivity and immunity provisions of the plan; and (4) the Kochers could either accept the plan benefits or pursue civil remedies. Bayfront, 982 So.2d at 705. On appeal, Bayfront argued that the purpose of the notice requirement was satisfied and that, consequently, the Kochers were limited to the remedies available through the plan, and Bayfront was immune from any civil action. Id. at 705-07. The Kochers asserted that they were not limited by NICA remedies, due to Bayfront's failure to fulfill the notice requirement. Id. at 707. The Second District agreed with Bayfront. [3] Relying on this Court's decision in Galen, the Second District concluded that the notice requirement had been satisfied and that the Kochers did not have the right to reject NICA remedies and pursue a civil action. Bayfront, 982 So.2d at 709. Specifically, it concluded: [A] physician's predelivery notice of his participation in the Plan satisfies the statutory notice requirement as defined by the Florida Supreme Court in Galen, 696 So.2d 308. Therefore, in the instant case, the statute was satisfied by the notice provided to Mrs. Kocher by her physician. Moreover, we agree that a plain reading of the statute does not require notice from Bayfront. The statute does not mandate that both the hospital and physician must give notice; rather, the statute qualifies which hospitals must give notice. That is, the only hospitals that are statutorily required to give notice are those with a participating physician on ... staff. § 766.316. Although the statute does not define this term, a plain reading of this language suggests that a hospital is required to provide such notice to an obstetrical patient if that patient's delivering physician is a Plan participant and is also an employee of the hospital, as opposed to a physician who merely enjoys staff privileges at the hospital. Nothing in the instant ALJ's amended final order indicates that Bayfront is a hospital with a participating physician on staff or that Mrs. Kocher's physician is an employee of Bayfront. As such, we conclude that Bayfront was not statutorily required to provide Mrs. Kocher with additional notice. Id. at 708-09. The Second District acknowledged that its decision was based on an extension of this Court's reasoning in Galen. Therefore, the Second District certified the question of great public importance at issue here. Id. at 709.