IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA CASE NO. SC09-1997 WEST FLORIDA ...

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA

CASE NO. SC09-1997 L.T. CONSOLIDATED CASE NOS. 1D09-1055 and 1D09-1144

WEST FLORIDA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. d/b/a WEST FLORIDA HOSPITAL,

Petitioner/Defendant,

vs.

LYNDA S. SEE and RODNEY C. SEE,

Respondents/Plaintiffs.

/

PETITIONER'S REPLY BRIEF ON THE MERITS

On Discretionary Review from a Decision of the First District Court of Appeal

CARLTON FIELDS, P.A.

CARLTON FIELDS, P.A.

215 S. Monroe Street

100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 4200

Suite 500

Miami, Florida 33131

Tallahassee, Florida 32301

Telephone: (305) 530-0050

Telephone: (850) 224-1585

Facsimile: (305) 530-0055

Facsimile: (850) 222-0398

By: STEPHEN J. BRONIS

By: CHRISTINE DAVIS GRAVES

WALTER J. TACH?

CRISTINA ALONSO

JESSICA ZAGIER WALLACE

Counsel for Petitioner West Florida Regional Medical Center

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES .................................................................................... ii

ARGUMENT .............................................................................................................1

I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ORDERING PRODUCTION OF THE BLANK APPLICATION FOR MEDICAL STAFF PRIVILEGES ..................................................................................................1

II. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN IGNORING THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE HOSPITAL MUST IDENTIFY RECORDS UNDER SECTION 381.028, FLORIDA STATUTES..................................................6

III. THE TRIAL COURT ERRONEOUSLY ORDERED PRODUCTION UNDER AMENDMENT 7, WHICH VIOLATES THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE ................................................................................9

CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................15

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................16

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE.......................................................................16

i

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

Cases

Page

Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc., 489 U.S. 141 (1989).......................................................................................11

Brandon Regional Hospital v. Murray, 957 So. 2d 590 (Fla. 2007) ..............................................................................3

Cruger v. Love, 599 So. 2d 111 (Fla. 1992) ..............................................................................3

Florida Hospital Waterman, Inc. v. Buster, 984 So. 2d 478 (Fla. 2008) ................................................................. 1, 6, 7, 9

Geier v. American Honda Motor Co., 529 U.S. 861 (2000)................................................................................ 10, 11

Liberatore v. NME Hospitals, Inc., 711 So. 2d 1364 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998).............................................................4

Tenet Healthsystem Hospitals, Inc. v. Taitel, 855 So. 2d 1257 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003).............................................................1

Virmani v. Novant Health Inc., 259 F.3d 284 (4th Cir. 2001) .................................................................. 13, 14

West Fla. Reg'l Med. Ctr., Inc. v. See, 18 So. 3d 676 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009) .............................................................2, 8

Wyeth v. Levine, 129 S.Ct. 1187 (2009)................................................................................9, 10

Constitutional Pr ovisions

Article X, Section 25, Fla. Const. ("Amendment 7") ...................................... passim

ii

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES (Continued)

Page

Statutes 42 U.S.C. ? 11101 ....................................................................................................10 42 U.S.C. ? 11137(b)(1) ..........................................................................................10 42 U.S.C. ? 1115(a) .................................................................................................10 42 U.S.C. ? 1115(d) .................................................................................................10 Chapter 395, Fla. Stat.................................................................................................1 Chapter 766, Fla. Stat.................................................................................................1 Health Care Quality Improvement Act ("HCQIA") ..................................................9 Section 381.028(7)(b)1, Fla. Stat. .................................................................... passim Section 395.0191(5), Fla. Stat................................................................................2, 3 Section 395.0191(8), Fla. Stat................................................................................3, 5 Section 395.0197, Fla. Stat. .............................................................................. 6, 7, 8 Section 766.101(5), Fla. Stat..................................................................................3, 5

Rules Fla. R. App. P. 9.030(a)(1)(A)(ii) ..............................................................................1 Fla. R. App. P. 9.030(a)(2)(A)(ii) ..............................................................................1 Fla. R. App. P. 9.030(a)(2)(A)(iv) .............................................................................1 Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.220 ...............................................................2

Other Author ities S. Rep. No. 99-331...................................................................................................11 U.S.C.C.A.N. 6413 ..................................................................................................11

iii

ARGUMENT I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ORDERING PRODUCTION

OF THE BLANK APPLICATION FOR MEDICAL STAFF PRIVILEGES Plaintiffs do not dispute that whether the blank application for medical staff

privileges is protected is governed by the privilege and confidentiality provisions

of chapters 395 and 766, Florida Statutes, not Amendment 7. Instead, Plaintiffs

argue that this case is distinguishable from Tenet Healthsystem Hospitals, Inc. v.

Taitel, 855 So. 2d 1257 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), where the Fourth District determined

that a blank form created by a hospital committee to evaluate hospital employees is

statutorily privileged as a credentialing record. Plaintiffs contend Taitel is

distinguishable from this case, because the form at issue in Taitel was "created by a

hospital committee for the purposes of quality assurance and peer review." (Ans.

Br. at 6-7, citing Taitel, 855 So. 2d at 1258). On the basis of this contended

distinction, Plaintiffs argue that there is no direct decisional conflict and that this Court should discharge jurisdiction. (Ans. Br. at 7).1

1 Even if this Court were to determine that there is no decisional conflict on this issue, it remains that this Court has jurisdiction to review issues I and II on appeal: (II) the First District's decision expressly construes Amendment 7 of the Florida Constitution and conflicts with Florida Hospital Waterman, Inc. v. Buster, 984 So. 2d 478, 493-94 (Fla. 2008), to the extent it effectively invalidates section 381.028(7)(b)1, Florida Statutes, and (III) the First District's decision expressly construes state and federal constitutional provisions. See Fla. R. App. P. 9.030(a)(1)(A)(ii), (a)(2)(A)(ii), (a)(2)(A)(iv).

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