Opinion ID: 1658608
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Did the lower court err in refusing to accept Dr. Rose as an expert with regard to hospital care in Rolling Fork, Mississippi?

Text: At the outset it is beneficial to make some general observations concerning the principles of hospital liability. This Court has previously defined medical malpractice as the legal fault by a physician or surgeon. Hall v. Hilbun, 466 So.2d 856 (Miss. 1985). The term physician was said to include all persons possessing an M.D. and providing medical or surgical services. Hall, supra, 866, n. 3. Therefore, it is worthy to note that hospitals are not liable for medical malpractice liability since a hospital is not a person licensed as a physician, Hall, supra . However, in Hardy v. Brantley, 471 So.2d 358 (Miss. 1985) this Court recognized that a hospital may be liable for physical harm caused by a doctor it employs by contract to provide medical services or for breach of implied warranty to a patient. A hospital may also be liable under other legal theories, such as negligence, contract, or expressed warranty. P. Lasky, 11B Hospital Law Manual, Principles of Hospital Liability, (1986). [2] In order to prevail in a suit based on the negligence of a hospital or of an employee whose liability will be imputed to the hospital, the plaintiff must satisfy four elements. First, it must be shown that the defendant had a duty to act in accordance with a standard of reasonable care so as to prevent injury to a foreseeable plaintiff. Second, the plaintiff must demonstrate the defendant's failure to conform to the applicable standard of care. This element is referred to as the breach of duty. Third, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant's breach of duty was the proximate cause of the plaintiff's injury... . Finally, the plaintiff must show that he or she suffered actual harm or injury as a result of the defendant's negligent conduct. Id. § 1-1, 1. A hospital may be subject to liability for its own acts of negligence toward patients and others, but also, it may be liable where the negligence of its health care personnel is imputed to the hospital under an agency theory.
Under the theory of agency, the Sharkey-Issaquena Community Hospital is charged with negligence of the nurses and staff employees on duty in the emergency room. The alleged negligent acts charged were the failure: to use reasonable medical skill, to send to another medical facility with adequate staff, to consult nursing supervisor or another doctor after learning that Dr. Lynch was not coming in, to perform proper diagnostic tests, to use reasonable care that conditions required, to report symptoms to nursing supervisor or another doctor, and to follow community, state, and regional medical standards in the emergency room care and treatment of Jeremy Ross. For proof of the above allegations, the plaintiff offered the testimony of Dr. Rose. The trial court allowed Dr. Rose to render expert opinion relative to the standard of care of physicians, but restricted him from expressing an opinion on hospital or nursing care in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. The basis upon which the trial court denied such testimony was the following: Dr. Rose was on the staff of the Red Bay Alabama Hospital which is east of Fulton, Mississippi near the Mississippi-Alabama line containing 33 hospital beds. Dr. Rose admitted upon questioning that he was caught by surprise that an attempt would be made to qualify him to give expert testimony relative to the hospital care by licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. Touching his qualifications as to the requisite knowledge required, in order to enable him to testify, appellee argues that Dr. Rose stated: (1) he had no knowledge of qualifications required of LPN's or RN's in Rolling Fork; (2) he was unaware of the number of RN's or LPN's in the drawing area of Rolling Fork; (3) he has never been in a hospital in Mississippi; (4) he was unaware of the qualifications of hospital administrators in Rolling Fork; (5) he was not even aware of the number of shifts of nurses at the Sharkey-Issaquena Community Hospital; (6) he was unfamiliar with the requirements, either statutory or otherwise of the State of Mississippi as to the number of RN's required to be on duty; (7) he did not know anything about any of the standards promulgated by the State of Mississippi or this hospital; (8) he has never practiced in any town in Mississippi; and (9) he admitted when questioned and you really don't know what the standards of medical practice are in these towns to which he answered: I guess the answer to that would be no. The decision of whether a witness is qualified to give expert opinion testimony is, of course, within the sound discretion of the trial judge and will not be disturbed on appeal unless the discretion is abused. Hardy v. Brantley, 471 So.2d 358 (Miss. 1985); Hollingsworth v. Bovaird Supply Co., 465 So.2d 311 (Miss. 1985). The trial court was proper in sustaining the objection to Dr. Rose's testimony as expert on the standards of practice of hospitals or nurses in Mississippi.