Burdge v. Greenville Hospital System
Burdge v. Greenville Hospital System
Opinion of the Court
Appellant, David C. Burdge, M.D. (Doctor), appeals the Circuit Court’s grant of Summary Judgment in favor of the Greenville Hospital System (Hospital).
We reverse, but affirm in result.
FACTS
Hospital was founded in 1947 by legislation of the South Carolina General Assembly,
Doctor’s staff privileges with Hospital were suspended for two years by the Board, following a full hearing as required by the Hospital Fair Hearing Plan. The suspension was stayed and Doctor was placed on probation. Believing that Doctor had violated the conditions of his probation the Board, without a hearing, lifted the stay and imposed the two-year suspension. Doctor sued, alleging Board had violated his due process rights in denying him a probation revocation hearing prior to the lifting of the stay. Circuit Court agreed and remanded for appropriate hearing. No hearing was ever scheduled, rendering the issue moot. Thereafter, the parties agreed in writing to discontinue the matter.
Subsequently, Doctor instituted a second action for damages, alleging the Board’s suspension of his obstetrical privileges without a probation revocation hearing had deprived him of his due process rights in violation of § 1983.
ISSUE
Did the Circuit Court err in holding that Hospital was a private, not public, institution?
DISCUSSION
Doctor contends (1) Hospital is a public institution, (2) the conduct of Hospital employees is a state action under § 1983, and (3) Hospital is a person within the meaning of § 1983.
Hospital was created by statute in the public interest and is supported in part by public funding through a general obligation bond. Since vacancies on the Board must be approved by City Council and/or the County Legislative Delegation and commissioned by the Governor, Board appointments are clearly governmentally related. We hold that the Hospital qualifies as a public institution and does qualify within the coverage of § 1983.
Circuit Court determined that Board had violated Doctor’s due process rights and remanded the matter for a probation revocation hearing. Failure of Doctor to timely schedule such hearing and, further, his subsequent agreement to discontinue the matter without a hearing, waived his right to pursue an action for damages pursuant to § 1983.
We reverse Circuit Court’s holding that Hospital is not a person within the meaning of § 1983 but affirm in result for the reason stated above.
Reversed, but affirmed in result.
1947 S.C. Acts 432.
Title 42, § 1983 provides:
Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State, Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- David C. BURDGE v. GREENVILLE HOSPITAL SYSTEM
- Status
- Published