Stuckey v. Renaissance at Midway ( 2016 )


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    Appellate Court                         this document
    Date: 2016.02.22 15:33:52
    -06'00'
    Stuckey v. The Renaissance at Midway, Inc., 
    2015 IL App (1st) 143111
    Appellate Court          JOHNNIE STUCKEY, as Attorney-in-Fact for Robert Holman,
    Caption                  Plaintiff-Appellee, v. THE RENAISSANCE AT MIDWAY, INC., an
    Illinois Corporation, d/b/a The Renaissance at Midway; NUCARE
    SERVICES CORPORATION, an Illinois Corporation; CLINICAL
    CONSULTING SOLUTIONS, LLC, an Illinois Limited Liability
    Company; and QUEST SERVICES CORPORATION, an Illinois
    Corporation, Defendants-Appellants (Rodd E. Elges and Clausen and
    Miller, P.C., Contemnors-Appellants).
    District & No.           First District, Sixth Division
    Docket No. 1-14-3111
    Filed                    December 18, 2015
    Decision Under           Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cook County, No. 13-L-000564; the
    Review                   Hon. Jeffrey Lawrence, Judge, presiding.
    Judgment                 Reversed and remanded. Contempt order vacated.
    Counsel on               Clausen Miller P.C., of Chicago (Edward M. Kay, Melinda S.
    Appeal                   Kollross, Rodd E. Elges, and Mark J. Sobczak, of counsel), for
    appellants.
    Levin & Perconti (Michael F. Bonamarte, of counsel), and Leslie J.
    Rosen Attorney at Law P.C. (Leslie J. Rosen, of counsel), both of
    Chicago, for appellee.
    Panel                    PRESIDING JUSTICE ROCHFORD delivered the judgment of the
    court, with opinion.
    Justices Hall and Lampkin concurred in the judgment and opinion.
    OPINION
    ¶1          Plaintiff-appellee, Johnnie Stuckey, as attorney-in-fact for Robert Holman, filed the instant
    personal injury action against defendants-appellants, The Renaissance at Midway, Inc., an
    Illinois corporation; Nucare Services Corporation, an Illinois corporation; Clinical Consulting
    Solutions, LLC, f/k/a Clinical Consulting Services, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company;
    and Quest Services Corporation, an Illinois corporation. 1 Plaintiff sought to recover for
    damages allegedly incurred by Mr. Holman when, while he was a resident at a long-term care
    facility owned, operated, and/or managed by defendants, he was physically assaulted by
    another resident.
    ¶2          This appeal was filed after the circuit court granted, in part, plaintiff’s motion to compel
    regarding plaintiff’s discovery requests, conducted an in camera review, ordered defendants to
    produce certain partially-redacted records regarding the resident who assaulted Mr. Holman,
    and found defense counsel in “friendly contempt” for counsel’s refusal to produce those
    records. For the following reasons, the circuit court’s discovery orders are reversed and its
    order finding defense counsel in “friendly contempt” and imposing a fine for the refusal to
    comply with those discovery orders is vacated.
    ¶3                                          I. BACKGROUND
    ¶4         Plaintiff, Mr. Holman’s sister and attorney-in-fact, filed the instant lawsuit on January 17,
    2013. In the complaint, it was alleged that in January of 2011, Mr. Holman–born on June 12,
    1933–was a resident at a long-term care facility known as The Renaissance at Midway
    (Renaissance) in Chicago. Defendants were alleged to be the owners, operators, and/or
    managers of Renaissance. On or about January 22, 2011, Mr. Holman was physically assaulted
    by another resident, allegedly causing his left eye to suffer hyphema, a fracture and globe
    rupture, and a reduction of vision. The complaint sought to recover for Mr. Holman’s injuries,
    asserting various violations of the Nursing Home Care Act (Act) (210 ILCS 45/1-101 et seq.
    (West 2010)), and acts of negligence against defendants. The other resident was not named a
    defendant in the complaint.
    ¶5         The record reflects that, prior to filing suit, a complaint regarding the incident involving
    Mr. Holman was filed by plaintiff with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). On or
    about April 13, 2012, the IDPH concluded its investigation and found that the Renaissance was
    in violation of certain provisions of the Act. Factual findings attached to the IDPH report,
    based upon an interview and a review of Renaissance’s records, asserted that Mr. Holman and
    the other resident (referred to as “R10” by the IDPH, but hereinafter referred to as “John Doe”)
    were roommates at Renaissance. In addition to the incident involving Mr. Holman on January
    1
    Although additional parties were originally named as defendants, those parties were dismissed
    below and they are not parties to this appeal.
    -2-
    22, 2011, the IDPH’s investigation indicated that John Doe, suffering from Alzheimer’s
    disease, “became physically aggressive toward staff and pushed staff on [a] bed” on January 6,
    2011. On February 23, 2012, John Doe was described as being “severely demented.”
    ¶6         In light of the IDPH findings, plaintiff propounded written discovery requests upon
    defendants seeking information regarding John Doe. While the written discovery requests
    themselves are not contained in the record on appeal, the remainder of the record makes clear
    that: “[p]laintiff requested in interrogatory fourteen (14) information regarding the resident
    who assaulted Robert Holman, including his name, address, social security number, whether a
    criminal background check had been completed on him and whether there were any prior
    incidents of aggression between this resident and any other residents or employees of the
    Defendant facility.” In addition: “[p]laintiff also requested in interrogatory seventeen (17) [to
    know] whether any complaints were ever made about the conduct of the other resident
    involved in the January 22, 2011, incident with Robert Holman.” Renaissance refused to
    respond to these discovery requests, asserting that they sought medical information that
    Renaissance was precluded from disclosing pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and
    Accountability Act (HIPAA) (42 U.S.C. § 1320d et seq. (2012)).
    ¶7         Plaintiff, thereafter, filed a motion to compel and for an in camera inspection. In her
    motion, plaintiff contended that none of the information requested in interrogatories 14 and 17
    constituted medical information and that a qualified protective order could be entered to
    protect John Doe’s privacy. Plaintiff further contended that an “in-camera inspection of John
    Doe’s medical records would ensure that any information Plaintiff receives would be relevant
    to the case at hand, and any medical information contained in said records could be redacted in
    compliance with HIPAA.” Plaintiff, therefore, requested that “the nursing home chart of John
    Doe be produced under a qualified protective order for in-camera inspection.”
    ¶8         Renaissance filed a written response to plaintiff’s motion, wherein it contended that
    plaintiff “clearly seeks the production of information and documentation” protected by
    HIPAA, the physician-patient privilege (735 ILCS 5/8-802 (West 2014)), and the Mental
    Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act (Confidentiality Act) (740 ILCS
    110/1 et seq. (West 2014)). Renaissance rejected plaintiff’s contention that no medical
    information had been requested, noting that plaintiff sought the production of John Doe’s
    entire nursing home chart. Renaissance therefore asked the circuit court to deny plaintiff’s
    motion to compel, as the “applicable statutes and relevant Illinois case law clearly establish
    that Defendant cannot produce information or documentation relevant to John Doe’s care and
    treatment at the Defendant’s facility, let alone his entire nursing home chart, as requested by
    Plaintiff.”
    ¶9         Plaintiff filed a written reply, wherein she contended that neither the physician-patient
    privilege nor the Confidentiality Act was applicable to this matter, and that HIPAA allowed for
    production of John Doe’s nursing home chart under a qualified protective order. Plaintiff did
    not assert that any exception to the Confidentiality Act authorized such disclosure.
    ¶ 10       A hearing on plaintiff’s motion was held on May 28, 2014. At that hearing, defense counsel
    indicated that both Mr. Holman and John Doe were residents of Renaissance’s dementia unit.
    Defense counsel further indicated his understanding that, while plaintiff might be entitled to
    John Doe’s name and last known address under Illinois law, plaintiff was not entitled to John
    Doe’s actual medical and nursing records. Plaintiff indicated that she was not interested in
    obtaining John Doe’s actual name or other identifying information. Rather, plaintiff indicated
    -3-
    that she sought only information regarding John Doe’s history of aggressive behavior. Thus,
    plaintiff stated that she would have no objection to the redaction of identifying information
    from any produced records, following the circuit court’s in camera inspection. Following the
    hearing, the circuit court entered an order, over defendant’s objection, requiring Renaissance
    to produce John Doe’s records to defense counsel and requiring defense counsel to produce
    those records to the circuit court for an in camera inspection, along with any proposed
    redactions.
    ¶ 11        Renaissance filed a motion to reconsider the circuit court’s order, contending that the
    circuit court had misapplied Illinois law in requiring an in camera inspection of the records.
    Alternatively, Renaissance asked the circuit court to enter a protective order with respect to
    those records and to provide John Doe and/or his legal representative both notice of the
    possible disclosure of the records and an opportunity to object to any disclosure, pursuant to
    HIPAA. In an order entered on July 14, 2014, the circuit court denied the former request and
    granted the latter.
    ¶ 12        This matter, again, came before the circuit court on September 11, 2014. On that date,
    defense counsel stated that John Doe’s daughter, who had held a power of attorney, had been
    previously contacted. While she reportedly objected to the disclosure of John Doe’s records,
    she was not willing to become further involved or to memorialize her objections in writing.
    Defense counsel also noted that over 1,000 pages of John Doe’s records had been provided for
    an in camera inspection. Contending that those records clearly reflected that John Doe was
    admitted to Renaissance for “mental illness” and was being treated there for “mental
    healthcare services,” defense counsel argued that all of John Doe’s records were protected by
    the Confidentiality Act. Defense counsel further contended that the Confidentiality Act
    precluded disclosure even though John Doe was deceased. It is not clear from the record
    exactly when John Doe died, although defense counsel appears to have become aware of this
    fact sometime between the July 14, 2014, and September 11, 2014, hearings.
    ¶ 13        The circuit court concluded that the vast majority of John Doe’s records were, in fact,
    medical records and were, therefore, not subject to production. However, the circuit court also
    found that a small portion of the records were discoverable in a partially redacted form that
    included the redaction of John Doe’s actual name and other personal, identifiable information.
    As the circuit court explained, “what we left unredacted, principally from the nurse’s notes, are
    any account of any physical acting out by John Doe. We think that is nonmedical information
    but simply an account of what he did, and we believe that the Plaintiff is entitled to receive
    that.” Defense counsel informed the circuit court that the redacted records would not be
    produced, and asked the circuit court to enter a “friendly contempt.” Therefore, the circuit
    court entered a written order which: (1) granted plaintiff’s motion to compel in part and denied
    it in part; (2) ordered defense counsel to provide specific, partially redacted portions of John
    Doe’s records to plaintiff; and (3) found defense counsel in contempt and fined defense
    counsel $100 for the failure to provide those records.
    ¶ 14        Following a hearing on September 29, 2014, the circuit court entered another order with
    respect to a final, additional set of John Doe’s records that was recently discovered and
    submitted for in camera inspection. The circuit court allowed the parties to adopt their prior
    arguments with respect to these additional documents, and ordered a portion of them to be
    disclosed to plaintiff in a partially redacted form. The circuit court’s order further indicated
    -4-
    that defense counsel also refused to produce these additional records, and noted that defense
    counsel remained in contempt for this refusal.
    ¶ 15        On October 10, 2014, defendants and their attorneys filed a notice of appeal, pursuant to
    Illinois Supreme Court Rule 304(b)(5) (eff. Feb. 26, 2010) (allowing for appeal of an order
    finding a person or entity in contempt of court which imposes a monetary or other penalty).
    Defendants and their attorneys sought reversal of the circuit court’s orders requiring the
    production of a portion of John Doe’s records and the order of contempt and monetary fine
    imposed upon defense counsel. This court subsequently granted unopposed motions filed by
    defendants and their defense counsel asking that this matter proceed under seal and that the
    partially redacted records ordered to be produced by the circuit court be filed under seal with
    this court for our own in camera inspection.
    ¶ 16                                            II. ANALYSIS
    ¶ 17       On appeal, defendants contend that the circuit court erred in ordering the production of
    John Doe’s partially redacted records, and in holding defense counsel in contempt for the
    refusal to do so. Defendants contend that disclosure of those records is prohibited by both the
    Confidentiality Act and the physician-patient privilege. We agree, because John Doe’s
    partially redacted records were protected from disclosure under the provisions of the
    Confidentiality Act, plaintiff failed to show that any exception to the Confidentiality Act
    applies, and these conclusions are dispositive of this appeal.2
    ¶ 18       In Norskog v. Pfiel, 
    197 Ill. 2d 60
    (2001), our supreme court outlined many of the standards
    guiding our analysis of this matter. As our supreme court noted therein:
    “Because discovery orders are not final orders, they are not ordinarily appealable.
    [Citations.] However, it is well settled that the correctness of a discovery order may be
    tested through contempt proceedings. [Citation.] When an individual appeals contempt
    sanctions imposed for violating, or threatening to violate, a pretrial discovery order, the
    discovery order is subject to review. [Citation.] Review of the contempt finding
    necessarily requires review of the order upon which it is based. [Citation.]
    ***
    Although a trial court’s discovery order is ordinarily reviewed for a manifest abuse
    of discretion [citation], the proper standard of review depends on the question that was
    answered in the trial court [citation]. ***
    In this appeal, we are deciding whether disclosure of mental health information is
    prohibited by a statutory discovery privilege and whether any exception to the privilege
    applies. These are matters of law subject to de novo review. [Citation.]” 
    Id. at 69-71.
           See also Wisniewski v. Kownacki, 
    221 Ill. 2d 453
    , 457 (2006) (same).
    ¶ 19       We first address Renaissance’s contention that the circuit court’s orders requiring the
    disclosure of partially redacted portions of John Doe’s records would violate the
    Confidentiality Act.
    2
    We note that while this discovery dispute began as a result of defendants’ refusal to answer
    plaintiff’s interrogatories, it ended with defendants’ refusal to comply with the circuit court’s orders
    requiring the disclosure of portions of John Doe’s actual records. Regardless of what plaintiff initially
    requested, we review the circuit court’s orders requiring disclosure of the actual records.
    -5-
    ¶ 20       The Confidentiality Act broadly provides: “All records and communications shall be
    confidential and shall not be disclosed except as provided in this Act.” 740 ILCS 110/3(a)
    (West 2014). The “records” made confidential under the Confidentiality Act are defined to
    include “any record kept by a therapist or by an agency in the course of providing mental
    health or developmental disabilities service to a recipient concerning the recipient and the
    services provided.” 740 ILCS 110/2 (West 2014). The “communications” made confidential
    under the Confidentiality Act are defined to include “any communication made by a recipient
    or other person to a therapist or to or in the presence of other persons during or in connection
    with providing mental health or developmental disability services to a recipient.
    Communication includes information which indicates that a person is a recipient.” 
    Id. A “recipient”
    is defined as “a person who is receiving or has received mental health or
    developmental disabilities services,” while “mental health or developmental disabilities
    services” or “services” specifically “includes but is not limited to examination, diagnosis,
    evaluation, treatment, training, pharmaceuticals, aftercare, habilitation or rehabilitation.” 
    Id. Finally, a
    “therapist” is defined to include “a psychiatrist, physician, psychologist, social
    worker, or nurse providing mental health or developmental disabilities services.” 
    Id. The Confidentiality
    Act also contains a number of specific, narrow exceptions whereby disclosure
    of records and communications without consent is permitted. See 740 ILCS 110/5 to 12.3
    (West 2014).
    ¶ 21       As our supreme court has summarized:
    “The Act represents a comprehensive revision and repeal of previous statutes
    pertaining to psychotherapeutic communications. [Citation.] When viewed as a whole,
    the Act constitutes a strong statement by the General Assembly about the importance of
    keeping mental-health records confidential. [Citation.] Confidentiality motivates
    persons to seek needed treatment. Further, by encouraging complete candor between
    patient and therapist, confidentiality is essential to the treatment process itself.
    [Citation.]
    The legislature carefully drafted the Act to maintain the confidentiality of
    mental-health records except in the specific circumstances explicitly enumerated. In
    each case where disclosure is allowed under the Act, the legislature has been careful to
    restrict disclosure to that which is necessary to accomplish a particular purpose.
    Exceptions to the Act are narrowly crafted. [Citation.] ‘Consequently, anyone seeking
    the nonconsensual release of mental health information faces a formidable challenge
    and must show that disclosure is authorized by the Act.’ [Citation.]” Reda v. Advocate
    Health Care, 
    199 Ill. 2d 47
    , 60 (2002).
    ¶ 22       The parties here, including plaintiff, do not dispute that John Doe was a “recipient” of
    “mental health or developmental disabilities services” while a resident at Renaissance. Nor
    could they realistically do so. Even without considering the partially redacted records
    submitted for our in camera review, we note that the IDPH investigation revealed that John
    Doe had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was described as being “severely
    demented” while a resident at Renaissance. That report also indicated that John Doe and Mr.
    Holman were roommates at Renaissance, and defense counsel indicated to the circuit court
    below that both Mr. Holman and John Doe were residents of Renaissance’s dementia unit.
    None of these factual assertions have ever been disputed.
    -6-
    ¶ 23       Moreover, the definition of “mental health or developmental disabilities services” or
    “services” contained in the Confidentially Act is very broad, as it “includes but is not limited to
    examination, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, training, pharmaceuticals, aftercare, habilitation
    or rehabilitation.” 740 ILCS 110/2 (West 2014). Certainly, the long-term care John Doe, a
    severely demented person who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, received while a
    resident of Renaissance’s dementia unit qualified as, at least, “treatment” or “aftercare,
    habilitation or rehabilitation.” 
    Id. Even if
    it did not, as the statutory definition is not limited to
    the itemized services contained therein and in light of the fact that the Confidentiality Act
    “constitutes a strong statement by the General Assembly about the importance of keeping
    mental-health records confidential” 
    (Reda, 199 Ill. 2d at 60
    ), we would conclude the long-term
    care John Doe received at Renaissance qualified as “mental health or developmental
    disabilities services.” In addition, our own review of the partially redacted records submitted
    for in camera inspection does nothing to dissuade us from concluding that John Doe was in
    fact a “recipient” of “mental health or developmental disabilities services” at Renaissance.
    ¶ 24       What the parties do dispute is whether the records the circuit court actually ordered to be
    disclosed constituted “records” or “communications” under the Confidentiality Act. We
    conclude that they clearly do. Again, the Confidentiality Act defines records to include “any
    record kept by a therapist or by an agency in the course of providing mental health or
    developmental disabilities service to a recipient concerning the recipient and the services
    provided,” and communications are defined to include “any communication made by a
    recipient or other person to a therapist or to or in the presence of other persons during or in
    connection with providing mental health or developmental disability services to a recipient.
    Communication includes information which indicates that a person is a recipient.” (Emphases
    added.) 740 ILCS 110/2 (West 2014).
    ¶ 25       Our review of the records provided for in camera inspection reveals that those documents
    fall comfortably within these very broad definitions. All the documents–including patient
    information forms, nurse’s notes, evaluations, care plans, and social service progress notes,
    even in their partially redacted form–concern John Doe and the services he was provided while
    a resident at Renaissance. Indeed, our review of these documents reveals that they were all
    apparently prepared by a nurse or a social worker at Renaissance, individuals qualifying as a
    “therapist” under the Confidentiality Act. 
    Id. Without further
    elucidating the contents of those
    records, and even in their partially redacted form, those records also include information
    regarding a number of conversations and other statements to and from “therapists” regarding
    John Doe and the “services” he received while at Renaissance.3
    ¶ 26       In coming to an opposite conclusion, both the circuit court and plaintiff rely upon this
    court’s decision in Giangiulio v. Ingalls Memorial Hospital, 
    365 Ill. App. 3d 823
    (2006).
    Similarly to this case, the plaintiff there was attacked with a knife by another patient during her
    stay at a hospital and she sued the hospital for its negligence in failing to prevent the attack. 
    Id. at 826.
    While the unnamed attacker was not named a defendant, plaintiff nevertheless sought
    to obtain information from the hospital regarding that attacker, as well as the knife used in the
    attack. 
    Id. at 826-28.
    On appeal from the defendant’s refusal to provide a response to these
    discovery requests, this court concluded that the Confidentiality Act did not preclude the
    3
    We are careful not to reveal too much information regarding the content of these records, in order
    to preserve the parties’ ability to file an appeal from our decision.
    -7-
    defendant hospital from providing plaintiff with the knife or “information regarding the
    doctors, nurses, staff, and employees with whom [the attacker] had contact. Because [plaintiff]
    is suing the hospital, its employees and staff for their negligence in allowing her to be attacked
    while a patient, no information about Jane Doe’s medical or mental condition is required when
    answering those interrogatories.” 
    Id. at 838.4
    ¶ 27       We do not find this decision to be supportive of the circuit court’s decision to disclose the
    partially redacted records in this matter, on the basis that they did not constitute records or
    communications. Specifically, the Giangiulio decision did not authorize the hospital’s
    disclosure of actual records or communications under the Confidentiality Act, it merely
    reasoned that the hospital was permitted to provide written answers to interrogatories and to
    provide a physical object, the knife used in the attack. Moreover, the information that the
    hospital was required to provide was limited to information regarding staff members at the
    hospital who had contact with the attacker, with this court specifically concluding that “no
    information about Jane Doe’s medical or mental condition is required when answering those
    interrogatories.” 
    Id. This is
    simply not the situation presented here, where the circuit court
    required disclosure of actual records and communications which contained specific
    information regarding John Doe and his condition, behavior, and treatment.
    ¶ 28       Our conclusion that the documents the circuit court required Renaissance to disclose
    constituted records and communications under the Confidentially Act thus brings them under
    the broad, general statutory provision that “[a]ll records and communications shall be
    confidential and shall not be disclosed except as provided in this Act.” 740 ILCS 110/3(a)
    (West 2014). And as we already indicated, while there are exceptions to this protection, the
    limited statutory “[e]xceptions to the Act are narrowly crafted. [Citation.] ‘Consequently,
    anyone seeking the nonconsensual release of mental health information faces a formidable
    challenge and must show that disclosure is authorized by the Act.’ [Citation.]” (Emphasis
    added.) 
    Reda, 199 Ill. 2d at 60
    . Thus, in this matter it was plaintiff’s burden to demonstrate that
    some exception to the Confidentiality Act authorized disclosure in this matter.
    ¶ 29       However, the record reveals that plaintiff never asserted the applicability of any statutory
    exception below, focusing solely upon her incorrect argument that the Confidentiality Act was
    simply “inapplicable to the requested nursing home records.” For that reason, the trial court
    was not required to make any findings or rulings with respect to the applicability of any of the
    exceptions to the Confidentiality Act. And on appeal, plaintiff initially responded to
    Renaissance’s argument that the Confidentiality Act barred disclosure in this matter by stating
    “the trial court did not base its ruling on any exception to the Confidentiality Act and plaintiff
    did not and is not claiming a right to disclosure pursuant to any of the exceptions.” It was not
    until she filed her answer to the petition for rehearing that plaintiff made any assertion that any
    exception to the Confidentiality Act applied here.
    ¶ 30       In sum, the record reflects that Renaissance established below that the documents the
    circuit court required it to disclose were confidential and not generally subject to disclosure
    under the Confidentially Act, plaintiff failed to make any attempt to demonstrate that any
    exception to the Confidentiality Act authorized disclosure below, and as a result the circuit
    4
    For the reasons we discuss below, the Giangiulio decision also fails to support plaintiff’s position
    or the trial court’s discovery orders in that it did not–indeed, it had no need to–address any of the
    exceptions to the Confidentiality Act.
    -8-
    court conducted no specific analysis and made no specific findings with respect to any possible
    exception to the protection offered by the Confidentiality Act. Moreover, with plaintiff having
    failed to raise any possible exception to the Confidentially Act below having initially and
    specifically disclaimed any reliance upon any such exception on appeal, it would be improper
    for us to address the applicability of any possible exception for the first time on appeal. See
    In re E.F., 
    2014 IL App (3d) 130814
    , ¶ 42 (“the failure to raise an issue in the trial court results
    in forfeiture of that issue on appeal”); Ill. S. Ct. R. 341(h)(7), (i) (eff. Feb. 6, 2013) (noting that
    points not argued in an appellee’s brief are waived, and “shall not be raised in the reply brief, in
    oral argument, or on petition for rehearing”). Under these particular circumstances, and with
    plaintiff having made no showing that any exception to the Confidentiality Act applies, we
    conclude that the trial court’s discovery orders were improper.
    ¶ 31       On appeal, Renaissance alternatively contends that the records required to be disclosed by
    the circuit court were also protected by the physician-patient privilege. 735 ILCS 5/8-802
    (West 2014). However, our conclusion that the Confidentiality Act protects those records from
    disclosure and the fact that plaintiff made no showing that any exception to the Confidentiality
    Act applies renders this alternative argument irrelevant.
    ¶ 32       As the statutory language of the physician-patient privilege provides that “[i]n the event of
    a conflict between the application of this Section and the Mental Health and Developmental
    Disabilities Confidentiality Act to a specific situation, the provisions of the Mental Health and
    Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act shall control.” 
    Id. Thus, the
    statutory language
    provides that the provisions of the Confidentiality Act must control our decision in this matter,
    regardless of whether or not disclosure would be barred by the physician-patient privilege
    under the circumstances here.
    ¶ 33       Finally, it is well recognized that if a discovery order is improper, any finding of contempt
    for the failure to comply with that order must be reversed. Klaine v. Southern Illinois Hospital
    Services, 
    2014 IL App (5th) 130356
    , ¶ 9. We therefore reverse and vacate the circuit court’s
    order finding defense counsel in contempt and imposing a $100 fine for defense counsel’s
    refusal to comply with the improper discovery orders.
    ¶ 34                                      III. CONCLUSION
    ¶ 35       For the foregoing reasons, we reverse the circuit court’s discovery orders, vacate its order
    finding defense counsel in contempt and imposing upon defense counsel a $100 fine, and
    remand for further proceedings consistent with this order.
    ¶ 36       Reversed and remanded. Contempt order vacated.
    -9-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 1-14-3111

Filed Date: 2/23/2016

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 2/23/2016