Cruze

Suffering from a terminal illness and from severe stress after losing her job, her apartment and her boyfriend, appellant Theresa Craze visited her physician and began discussing the possibility of suicide. The physician and others initiated a 72-hour psychiatric hold and evaluation under Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150 resulting in appellant’s being held 17 hours in the facility operated by respondent Ingleside Hospital. After her discharge and release, appellant filed a complaint against respondent and certain individual defendants, alleging medical malpractice, negligence, false imprisonment, infliction of emotional distress, defamation and other torts. Finding that under section 5278, respondent was immune to the lawsuit, the trial court granted respondent’s motion for summary judgment and gave judgment to respondent. We affirm.

Factual And Procedural Background

Thomas E. Conklin, M.D., a licensed California physician and a general practitioner in Northridge, began treating appellant in April 1998. Dr. Conklin treated appellant for Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), upper respiratory infection and other conditions, and authorized refills of her prescriptions…