Opinion ID: 1613536
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether the grant of summary judgment to dr. ali was appropriate.

Text: ¶ 5. Under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, Miss.Code Ann. §§ 11-46-1 to -23 (Supp.2001), no state employee is personally liable for acts or omissions occurring within the course and scope of his duties. Id. § 11-46-7(2). Physicians who practice medicine at UMMC may be granted immunity from liability for their negligent acts if the acts complained of were committed during the course and scope of their employment at UMMC. Smith v. Braden, 765 So.2d 546, 550 (Miss.2000). On the other hand, if the acts complained of were committed while the physician was acting as an independent contractor, no immunity is afforded. [2] ¶ 6. In support of his motion for summary judgment, Dr. Ali submitted a copy of his employment contract with the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The contract shows that he would be paid a monthly salary and that, in addition to this salary, Dr. Ali: [would] be permitted to earn additional income from medical practice subject to the following limitations: a) [Dr. Ali] shall retain 100% of earnings from medical practice up to a total income of $140,000, ... b) Income in excess of $140,000 will be divided 50% to the employee and 50% to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). Of the amount allocated to the Medical Center, 60% shall be for the use of the department of the employee.    3. [Dr. Ali] agrees to pay [his] pro rata share of expenses in the private patient association (University of Mississippi Clinical Associates). This payment shall be based upon gross medical practice earnings from all patient care related income at the Medical Center.... ¶ 7. The circuit court found that Dr. Ali was, for purposes of these lawsuits, an employee of UMMC and therefore entitled to immunity: Dr. Ali adduced overwhelming credible evidence that he was, in fact, an employee of the University Medical Center at all times relevant to this matter. Dr. Ali presented the Court with an affidavit of Marjorie Soloman, the Director of Human Resources of the University Medical Center, which stated in no uncertain terms that all treatment allegedly provided to James W. Bennett by Dr. Ali, at all times relevant to this lawsuit, was provided in the course and scope of Dr. Ali's employment with the University Medical Center through the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. In addition, Dr. Ali presented the Court with a copy of his employment contract which evidences the nature of his relationship with the University Medical Center as an employee of the Hospital and not as an independent contractor. To that end, this Court finds that Dr. Ali is an employee as defined under the MTCA ¶ 8. We have recently remanded a medical malpractice case for further discovery as to the doctor's employment status. The defendant doctor was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UMMC, as well as a member of two medical practice partnerships. After examining the partnership agreements which limited membership to UMMC faculty members and which referred to each member's private practice, we found that genuine issues of fact existed as to the employment status of the defendant doctor. Smith, 765 So.2d at 550-51. ¶ 9. In the instant case, we do not have the benefit of a copy of the partnership agreement between Dr. Ali and University Psychiatric Associates. In Smith, we reversed and remanded for further discovery even when the partnership agreement was a part of the record. On the record presented on appeal, a determination of Dr. Ali's relationship to the private patient association cannot be made. ¶ 10. Furthermore, there is no evidence in the record of the circumstances under which Dr. Ali saw Jake as a patient: as an associate professor for UMMC or as a member of the University Psychiatric Associates. The circuit court relied upon affidavits submitted by UMMC officials. However, the record contains no details of how Jake was billed for Dr. Ali's services and whether the bill included a separate charge for physician services that would go in whole, or in part, directly or indirectly, to Dr. Ali. ¶ 11. We find that the record is insufficient to support a grant of summary judgment to Dr. Ali and that genuine issues of fact exist. We therefore reverse and remand to the circuit court for further proceedings.