Gregory Hennenfent v. Mid Dakota Clinic

164 F.3d 419
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedDecember 29, 1998
Docket98-1992
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 164 F.3d 419 (Gregory Hennenfent v. Mid Dakota Clinic) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gregory Hennenfent v. Mid Dakota Clinic, 164 F.3d 419 (8th Cir. 1998).

Opinion

BRIGHT, Circuit Judge.

Mid Dakota Clinic, P.C. (Clinic) suspended its physician, Gregory Hennenfent, M.D., a severely disabled person, from practicing medicine at the Clinic. Hennenfent brought this action claiming discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 621 et seq. (ADA), together with related state claims under North Dakota law. The district court dismissed all claims on summary judgment, determining that with his disability, Hennenfent could not perform on call duty, an essential function of his medical practice at the Clinic. The district court further found that the Clinic had accommodated Hennenfent but that Hennenfent had refused to comply with the accommodations.

We agree that the Clinic extended reasonable accommodation to Hennenfent. We also agree that Hennenfent’s continued intransigence — his refusal to report to the Mayo Clinic for an evaluation of his present disability — justifies his suspension by the Clinic. These determinations support an af-firmance of the dismissal on summary judgment at this time. However, for reasons stated immediately below, that dismissal of the federal ADA claim and certain state law claims are without prejudice.

As a further basis for dismissal on summary judgment of all claims, federal and state, the district court determined that Hen-nenfent cannot perform the essential functions of the practice of medicine even with accommodation. This determination is premature pending plaintiffs examination by the Mayo Clinic, should he choose to comply with the examination requirement. Accordingly, this finding or determination is vacated, also without prejudice.

I.

Dr. Gregory Hennenfent is an internist who worked at the Clinic. Hennenfent began working at the Clinic in 1983, and owns shares in the professional corporation. As part of his duties, he worked and performed on call duties at the Clinic and St. Alexius Medical Center. On call duty requires a doctor to be available for a certain period of time to see patients and to make rounds at the hospital and clinics. It involves a considerable amount of walking between the hospital and clinics. Weekend on call duty requires more walking than weekday on call duty.

Hennenfent suffers from diabetes, and has a number of related complications, including *421 poor circulation. In December 1991, Henne-fent’s right great toe had to be amputated, and he took a medical leave of absence. This was not Hennenfent’s first medical leave of absence. In February 1992, he returned to work with a limited schedule and was not required to perform on call duties until November 1992.

In March 1993, Hennenfent requested that he be relieved of his weekend on call duties due to health problems, and the Clinic agreed. In 1994, Hennenfent had a below-the-knee amputation because of circulation problems. Hennenfent was fitted with a prosthesis and returned to work on a limited basis. In an effort to save his remaining leg, Hennenfent requested that his schedule be limited and that his on call duties be reduced. The Clinic complied with this request, and from the time of his amputation in October 1994 until the fall of 1995, Hennenfent was not required to perform weekend on call duties and performed only limited on call duties during the week. A backup on call physician was provided to assist Hennenfent with his on call duties. The backup physician would handle all hospital duties after 9:00 p.m. or at other times during the day and evening if requested by Hennenfent. Hennenfent admitted that he did not utilize the backup physician that was provided by the Clinic.

In late 1995, the Clinic requested that Hennenfent begin taking weekend on call duty with the help of a backup physician. This request was based on a letter received from a treating physician which indicated that Hennenfent could handle weekend on call duties with a backup physician. Hennen-fent refused to be placed on the weekend on call schedule.

In early 1996, the board of directors of the Clinic placed Hennenfent on required medical leave and requested that he be independently examined by a physician at the Mayo Clinic to determine his level of disability so that they could provide the appropriate accommodations. Hennenfent failed to keep his initial appointment at the Mayo Clinic and was suspended by the Clinic’s board of directors. 1 In April 1996, Hennenfent agreed to be examined by the Mayo Clinic. The results of the examination indicated that Hennenfent could perform weekend on call duties with his prosthesis and the help of a backup physician. In May 1996, Hennen-fent’s remaining leg was amputated at the Mayo Clinic. The Clinic requested that Hen-nenfent be examined a second time to determine his level of disability in light of this change in his physical condition, and to see what types of accommodation would be appropriate. Hennenfent refused to be examined a second time, and remains on suspension from the Clinic.

On October 17, 1996, Hennenfent brought this lawsuit against the Clinic, and a number of its shareholders, alleging a federal claim under the ADA, and a number of related state claims for defamation, civil conspiracy, invasion of privacy, wrongful termination, interference with the right to practice medicine, and exemplary damages. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the Clinic and the shareholders on all claims, and Hennenfent appeals. As indicated, we affirm the dismissal of all claims, some with prejudice, others without prejudice as indicated in this opinion.

II.

We review the district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo. Christopher v. Adam’s Mark Hotels, 137 F.3d 1069, 1071 (8th Cir.1998) (citation omitted). Summary judgment is appropriate if “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and ... the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law'.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c).

The ADA requires an employer to make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified employee with a disability. 42 U.S.C. § 12112(b)(5)(A); 29 C.F.R. § 1630.9(a) (1998). In order to survive summary judgment, an ADA plaintiff must establish a prima facie case of discrimination by showing “that [he] is disabled within the meaning of the [ADA]; [that he] is qualified *422 to perform the essential functions of [his] job with or without reasonable accommodation; and [that he] suffered an adverse employment action because of [his] disability.” Webb v. Mercy Hosp., 102 F.3d 958, 959-60 (8th Cir.1996).

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Hennenfent v. Mid Dakota Clinic
164 F.3d 419 (Eighth Circuit, 1998)

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Bluebook (online)
164 F.3d 419, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gregory-hennenfent-v-mid-dakota-clinic-ca8-1998.