Benell v. City of Virginia

104 N.W.2d 633, 258 Minn. 559, 1960 Minn. LEXIS 639
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedAugust 5, 1960
Docket37,842
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 104 N.W.2d 633 (Benell v. City of Virginia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Benell v. City of Virginia, 104 N.W.2d 633, 258 Minn. 559, 1960 Minn. LEXIS 639 (Mich. 1960).

Opinions

Thomas Gallagher, Justice.

Action by plaintiff, Dr. O. E. Benell, for a declaratory judgment that a resolution adopted June 3, 1957, by the hospital commission of the Virginia Municipal Hospital, which is owned by defendant, city of Virginia, is invalid. The resolution is as follows:

“Any member of the active medical staff may be called in consultation by any other member of the hospital staff. The consultant will have access to all the hospital records affecting the patient in question, including laboratory reports, reports on tissues examined by the hospital Pathologist and X-rays taken under the supervision of the hospital Radiologist. After adequate examination of the patient and/or his hospital records, the consultant will enter his opinion on the hospital chart as to diagnosis and/or recommendations for treatment of the patient.

“The above would apply to the case of Dr. O. E. Benell. While Dr. Benell is a member of the active medical staff he may be called in consultation by another member of the staff. He may enter into the hospital charts his interpretation of X-rays taken under the supervision of the hospital Radiologist or he may be consulted for his opinion as to X-ray therapy for a patient. His opinion should be entered in the hospital chart.

“In consultation with the hospital Radiologist, a decision may be made as to the method of administration and dosage schedule for the X-ray therapy. At the request of the attending physician, the hospital Radiologist will then administer the X-ray therapy.

“Dr. Benell thus exercises a function of the consultant in Radiology [561]*561by interpreting X-rays and recommending further diagnostic X-ray techniques or by making recommendations in regard to X-ray therapy. It is to be understood that no compensation is to be expected from the hospital for this consultation service.” (Italics supplied.)

The trial court determined that since the resolution was for the promotion of higher standards of medical practice in the hospital; and for placing of responsibility for all radiological procedures with the radiologist heading the radiology department, it was reasonable and in all respects valid.

On appeal from the judgment entered pursuant to the trial court’s order, plaintiff, a licensed physician and surgeon, and a qualified radiologist on the staff of the hospital, contends that the hospital, being a publicly supported institution, is required to make its equipment and the technical staff in its radiology department reasonably available to qualified radiologists on its active medical staff without the limitations and restrictions set forth in the resolution.

The Virginia Municipal Hospital is operated by the city of Virginia pursuant to the latter’s home rule charter. It includes a well-equipped and modem department of radiology and a technical staff is maintained in connection therewith. It operates under a charter commission consisting of five lay freeholders and voters appointed by the mayor subject to the approval of the city council. The commission is empowered by the charter to make rules relating to its own procedures and the administration, maintenance, and control of the hospital.

Plaintiff has specialized in the practice of radiology since 1947. Since December 23, 1949, he has been a member of the LenontPeterson Clinic at Virginia. On January 9, 1950, he was hired as a radiologist for the Virginia Municipal Hospital to act on a part-time basis. Payments for his services were made to the Lenont-Peterson Clinic by the hospital. A resolution terminating this arrangement as of November 1, 1955, was adopted by the commission September 19, 1955. At that time it appointed Dr. Abraham Alpert as a full-time hospital radiologist, and on June 3, 1957, adopted the resolution here challenged. Prior thereto, it had offered plaintiff the opportunity of serving as radiologist for the hospital if he would disassociate himself [562]*562from the Lenont-Peterson Clinic and work out a suitable arrangement with Dr. Alpert. Plaintiff declined to disassociate himself from the clinic and thereafter requested that the hospital define his rights with respect to the radiology department, its staff, and equipment. The June 3, 1957, resolution followed this request, the commission giving as one of its reasons therefor its desire that the hospital radiology department be independent of any clinics and that its radiologist be responsible .solely to the hospital.

At the trial, testimony of experts was submitted with reference to the reasonableness of the resolution. Mr. Ray M. Amberg, Director of the University of Minnesota Hospitals, called by defendant, testified that in his opinion the resolution was reasonable since the commission was vested with responsibility for selecting a radiologist for all hospital patients and since any negligence on his part might make the hospital liable in damages. Dr. Abraham Alpert, called by plaintiff for cross-examination under the statute, testified that in his opinion it was necessary for the hospital radiologist to take charge of all radiological procedures and to exercise his independent judgment when it was needed so diagnosis and treatment of all hospital patients could be obtained as expeditiously as possible. Dr. Arthur M. Antonow, a member of the East Range Clinic and chief of staff of the hospital, testified that in his opinion the resolution was reasonable because of the responsibility of the hospital for X-ray, diagnosis, and therapeutic treatment; because better and more uniform standards by the technicians could thereby be provided; and because better team work and greater efficiency would be promoted by closed staff arrangements for radiology.

Experts called by plaintiff included Dr. E. N. Peterson of the LenontPeterson Clinic and Dr. Henry G. Moehring, a radiologist with a Duluth clinic. Both expressed the opinion that the resolution was unreasonable; that it would hamstring visiting consultants in administering radiation therapy where daily judgment must be exercised. Dr. Peterson testified that it would deprive a consulting doctor of his right to examine his patients; that it would require diagnosis based upon another’s findings; that it would deny the patient a free choice of physician and deny an [563]*563attending physician the right to proper evidence required for diagnosis. Dr. Moehring testified that the radiologist should be present at almost all examinations, even where simple chest films are taken; that if the radiologist can see films shortly after exposure, he may find reason to expose additional films or to suggest study along lines not apparent upon physical examination. Plaintiff testified that the resolution barred his practice of radiology at defendant hospital in that it is not satisfactory for a radiologist to be required to look at films taken by another radiologist. He was corroborated by Dr. Peterson and Dr. Moehring as well as by Dr. Alpert.

It is our opinion that the challenged resolution constitutes an administrative act adopted by the hospital commission pursuant to Charter of City of Virginia, § 200-C,1 in furtherance of the administration, operation, maintenance, and control of the hospital, City of Duluth v. Cerveny, 218 Minn. 511, 16 N. W. (2d) 779, and that accordingly the function of this court is limited to a determination whether the commission’s action in adopting the resolution was arbitrary or unreasonable. State ex rel. McGinnis v. Police Civil Service Comm. 253 Minn. 62, 91 N. W.

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Benell v. City of Virginia
104 N.W.2d 633 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1960)

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Bluebook (online)
104 N.W.2d 633, 258 Minn. 559, 1960 Minn. LEXIS 639, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/benell-v-city-of-virginia-minn-1960.