Opinion ID: 1799100
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Is Dr. Orr an Employee of PHS?

Text: ¶ 9. In granting summary judgment, the circuit court found that Dr. Orr was an employee of PHS. Russell challenges this contention on appeal and cites language from a contract between PHS and EPS which states that EPS subcontractors shall not be considered employees of PHS. Dr. Orr claims the circuit court's order should not be disturbed because statements in Russell's complaint and comments made by her counsel at oral argument indicate that Russell considered Dr. Orr an employee of PHS. ¶ 10. We agree with Dr. Orr's argument. When ruling on issues in a motion for summary judgment, the court is to consider whether the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. Miss. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Rolison v. City of Meridian, 691 So.2d 440, 442 (Miss. 1997). In her complaint, Russell asserted that Dr. Orr was employed by PHS in her allegation of vicarious liability against PHS, stating that [a]t all times herein mentioned Dr. Orr was acting in the scope of his employment as an emergency room physician for Pontotoc Health Services, Inc. Russell did not oppose the summary judgment by establishing specific facts which went beyond her pleadings. See Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. v. Garriga, 636 So.2d 658, 661 (Miss. 1994). We therefore conclude that, as to Russell, the fact of Dr. Orr's employ by PHS has been judicially admitted and is not subject to appeal. ¶ 11. This issue is still in dispute, however, in the third party action by PHS against EPS, since in its answer PHS denied that it employed Dr. Orr. The record shows that Dr. Orr was an emergency room physician (ERP) working for EPS at Pontotoc Hospital on the date the appellant was injured. The contract between PHS and EPS generally provides that EPS will supply ERPs to the hospital during hours designated in the contract. With regard to the employment status of the ERPs provided by EPS, the following is written: (16) Hospital agrees and realizes that EMA is not involved in the practice of medicine and that EMA is a business corporation licensed to do business in the State of Mississippi for the purpose of providing ERP coverage to HOSPITAL or other hospitals or similar facilities. HOSPITAL also agrees and realizes that the relationship which exists between EMA and ERP is that of contractor and subcontractor, respectively, and not that of employer and employee, and EMA shall be responsible for direct payment of ERPs. EMA shall hold the HOSPITAL harmless and indemnify it from any claims made in connection with compensation and payment of the ERPs. EMA, its employees, and all subcontractor ERPs, shall not publicly hold themselves out as employees of HOSPITAL and shall inform any patients that they are subcontractor ERPs or employees of EMA and not HOSPITAL if requested to do so. ERPs shall in no way be considered the employees and/or agents of the HOSPITAL and shall not perform any acts or actions to indicate otherwise; further, EMA shall hold the HOSPITAL harmless and indemnify it from any claim made as a result of any act and/or omission of its ERPs. EMA shall have only the responsibility of scheduling said ERPs and as also may be delineated herein. ¶ 12. Whether Dr. Orr is an employee of the hospital is a matter defined by the legal and/or contractual relationship between Dr. Orr and PHS. Dr. Orr indicated in his affidavit that he was a dual employee of the PHS and EPS. He relies on Hardy v. Brantley, 471 So.2d 358, 371 (Miss. 1985). In Hardy, the Court dealt with a medical malpractice action in which a patient's severe abdominal pain was misdiagnosed by a physician who worked in the emergency room pursuant to a contract with a hospital. Subsequently, the patient died and the hospital and physician were sued for negligence. On appeal from directed verdicts, this Court held that where a hospital holds itself out as providing a given service, and where the hospital enters into a contractual arrangement with one or more physicians, and a patient engages the services of the hospital without regard to the identity of a particular physician and where as a matter of fact the patient is relying upon the hospital to deliver the desired health care and treatment, the doctrine of respondeat superior applies rendering the hospital vicariously liable for the negligent acts of the physician. ¶ 13. The circuit court agreed that Hardy supports the contention that Dr. Orr was an employee of the PHS. The court stated that since the doctrine of respondeat superior applied, an employer/employee relationship necessarily existed. This conclusion may have been premature, for at the very least it left open other genuine factual issues. While under Hardy the hospital may be vicariously liable for the conduct of Dr. Orr, his status as an employee of PHS is uncertain and a matter to which reasonable jurors could disagree. See id. at 370-71. ¶ 14. Dr. Orr claims PHS had the right to terminate employment, control work schedule, and set pay at an hourly wage. Any classification of the EPS physicians as PHS employees, however, is contrary to the terms of the contractual agreement between EPS and the PHS. Especially troubling is Dr. Orr's argument that PHS's control over him as an employee springs from the contract which categorically forbids that EPS physicians be considered employees of PHS. In his brief, Dr. Orr argues that several provisions in the contract between PHS and EPS grant PHS control over Dr. Orr. However, he fails to explain or acknowledge the gravity of provision 16 set out above, which declares that ERPs from EPS shall not be considered employees of PHS. This contradiction alone severely undermines the appellee's contentions that Dr. Orr was an employee of PHS. ¶ 15. This Court has recognized the rule which acknowledges that a person may be an independent contractor as to certain work and a mere agent or employee as to other work for the same employer. Kight v. Sheppard Building Supply, Inc., 537 So.2d 1355, 1359 (Miss. 1989); see also Carroll v. E.G. Laughlin & Sons, 220 Miss. 535, 540, 71 So.2d 461 (1954). In Kight, the Court found that an owner exercised significant control over a prime contractor such that the prime contractor ceased to function as an independent contractor and became nothing more than a limited agent. Kight, 537 So.2d at 1359. Arguably, Dr. Orr's actions at the hospital were so defined and controlled by the hospital administration that a master-servant relationship was established; but simultaneously, Dr. Orr's actions at the hospital were squarely within the four-corners of the contract between EPS and PHS. ¶ 16. In any event, Dr. Orr's relationship with PHS is a product of the contract between PHS and EPS. While Dr. Orr argues that he is a dual employee of EPS and PHS, the only support for this contention is based in the very document which declares that Dr. Orr shall not be considered an employee of PHS. ¶ 17. Summary judgment must be carefully imposed and when erroneously applied this Court should reverse. Before summary judgment is granted, it must be determined whether reasonable jurors could not differ on the factual questions in issue. Carpenter v. Nobile, 620 So.2d 961, 965 (Miss. 1993); Sanford v. Federated Guar. Ins. Co., 522 So.2d 214, 217 (Miss. 1988). Reasonable jurors could differ as to whether Dr. Orr was an employee of PHS, or both PHS and EPS. One need only compare the terms of the EPS contract with the control exercised by PHS to get conflicting interpretations as to Dr. Orr's employment status. Thus, summary judgment on the issue of Dr. Orr's employment by PHS was inappropriate as to the third party suit.