MEDICAL STAFF BYLAWS

Sheth v. Wunderlich, No. 3-04-0828 (Ill. App. Ct. Jan. 13, 2006)

The Appellate Court of Illinois affirmed summary judgment in favor of a hospital and members of its Medicine Committee who allegedly suspended a physician's privileges in violation of the medical staff bylaws.

On recommendation from its chairperson, the hospital's Medicine Committee summarily suspended a physician's privileges. The physician claimed the committee failed to follow the bylaws because the bylaws gave the authority to summarily suspend to the chairperson. The court found the physician suffered no damages due to the deviation since the chairperson's recommendation to the committee was tantamount to his issuing the suspension himself.