California Medical Ass'n v. Regents of University of California

The University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center purchased the Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center. When physician participation in the anesthesia service at the Santa Monica facility was later restricted to UCLA’s faculty members, a.group of anesthesiologists who had previously practiced at the Santa Monica facility sued UCLA for damages and injunctive relief. The trial court viewed the doctors’ unlawful practice and unfair competition claims as meritorious and issued a preliminary injunction to prevent UCLA from using its faculty members to run the Santa Monica anesthesia service. We reverse.

Facts

The UCLA School of Medicine. The UCLA' School of Medicine (one of five publicly funded medical schools within the University of California system) operates teaching hospitals in which it offers patient care, conducts clinical research, and provides clinical training to physicians. Every patient admitted to a UCLA healthcare facility is a potential teaching case and, as such, is required to sign a form acknowledging “that residents, interns, medical students, students of ancillary health care professions ... and post-graduate fellows may participate” in the…