Page:Paulino v. QHG of Springdale, Inc.pdf/3

 NWA Spine Clinic but added claims for medical negligence against Richard, the monitoring nurse, and AIM. According to the second amended complaint, Richard negligently failed to communicate the loss of lower-extremity response to Dr. Raben. The complaint further alleged that AIM was "an employer of Richard and was vicariously liable for her negligence." The Paulinos also asserted a claim for negligent credentialing against NMC and a claim against AIM for the negligent hiring, supervision, and training of Richard.

Dr. Raben and NWA Spine Clinic were dismissed from the litigation after reaching a settlement with the Paulinos. Richard and AIM were likewise dismissed after reaching a settlement. After these parties were dismissed, the Paulinos filed a third amended complaint. In this complaint the parties making up NMC were named as the defendants. The Paulinos alleged that NMC negligently credentialed Dr. Raben. In support of this claim, the Paulinos asserted that NMC first credentialed and granted privileges to Dr. Raben to perform orthopedic surgery in 1998, although the complaint alleged that he was never credentialed to perform cervical corpectomies. Since that time, NMC had re-credentialed Dr. Raben every two years. The complaint further alleged that NMC knew that Dr. Raben was performing cervical corpectomies and that NMC knew he was not competent to perform such surgeries. The Paulinos contended that NMC's credentialing policies and its complacency in allowing Dr. Raben to perform surgeries for which he was not credentialed or competent to perform led to their damages. In their third amended complaint, the Paulinos pled several causes of action based in negligence against NMC relating to NMC's oversight of Dr. Raben and Richard. The