Smith v. Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Inc.

1 iHALL, Justice.*

This suit arises out of a hospital’s termination of a cardiovascular surgeon’s staff *735privileges for incompetence and unprofessional misconduct. The surgeon, Dr. Pren-tiss E. Smith, sued the hospital, Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Inc., d/b/a Our Lady of the Lake Regionál Medical Center (“OLOL”); various members of the hospital’s executive committee and board of trustees; his chief competitor, Dr. B. Eugene Berry; Dr. Berry’s professional corporation, CVT Surgical Center, A Medical Corporation (“CVT”); and Dr. Berry’s two partners, Drs. David Davis and Carlton Sheely. Dr.…