Hospital Liabilities

Hospital liabilities
Patient safety is the priority in everything health care settings. In this case of Dr. Smith, a contracted cardiac surgeon who has been emotionally disturbed due to his divorcement with his wife, which he continues to work at the hospital under influence. Dr. Smith can hold liability for any injuries or harm caused to the patient due to his actions under influence, which can lead to corporate negligence. “Corporate negligence is a doctrine under which the hospital is liable if it fails to uphold the proper standard of care owed the patient, which is to ensure the patient’s safety and well-being while at the hospital” (Pozgar, 2014).
            The relationship between an independent contractor with the hospital is the right of control, which differs from an employee. Hospital is unable to control how an independent contractor works but can do so for the employee. In addition, an independent contractor “holds responsibility for his or her negligent acts” (Pozgar, 2014). “To incur liability, the director must have in some way authorized, directed, or participated in a tortuous act”(Pozgar, 2014). In any case, an independent contractor who has breached the hospital guidelines, such as causing death to a patient, can have his or her contract terminated.
            As an administration, I put patient safety as my priority and would not tolerate any health care providers to deliver care under any influences. The fact that there has been reports of Dr. Smith being intoxication in multiple settings and has made several errors during recent surgeries evidently shows that Dr. Smith is not competent with his current state, especially in cardiac surgery, which is a very invasive procedure, and can result in irreversible damage to the patient.
            The CEO is responsible for managing day-to-day operations within the hospital, to ensure safety for each patient and as well for every health providers, lastly, to enforce regulations that are...