Poliner v. Texas Health Systems

PATRICK E. HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judge:

This appeal brings to us a judgment awarding some $33 million, including prejudgment interest, against a major hospital and leading physician for alleged defama-tions. As we will explain, this extraordinary judgment rests on limited restrictions of Dr. Lawrence Poliner’s privileges at Presbyterian Hospital over a period of fewer than twenty-nine days to investigate concerns involving his handling of several patients. This peer review, which was headed by Dr. James Knochel, led to a suspension of Poliner’s cardiac catheterization lab and echocardiography…