Goodstein

Introduction

Dr. Wallace A. Goodstein (Goodstein), a plastic surgeon, held staff privileges at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The “Well-Being of Physicians Committee,” a peer review committee whose purpose is to investigate claims that a physician has a substance abuse problem endangering patient safety, learned from several credible and unconnected sources about a potential problem with Goodstein. After evaluating the information, the committee decided that further investigation was warranted. It requested a meeting with Goodstein. He consented. In the course of the meeting, Goodstein demanded to know the sources of information which had triggered the investigation. The committee members, citing a well-grounded policy of nondisclosure, declined to give him the information. After the meeting, the committee members met and, based upon governing hospital rules, decided to ask Goodstein to submit to a psychiatric evaluation and random urine testing. Goodstein refused. Pursuant to the pertinent hospital rules, Goodstein’s refusal resulted in suspension of his staff privileges. After exhausting his intrahospital administrative remedies to contest the suspension, Goodstein filed…