ReadyLink v. Integrated Healthcare Holdings CA4/3

Filed 3/24/15 ReadyLink v. Integrated Healthcare Holdings CA4/3

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

READYLINK, INC.,

Plaintiff and Respondent, G049621

v. (Super. Ct. No. 30-2013-00669286)

INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE OPINION HOLDINGS, INC., et al.,

Defendants and Appellants.

Appeal from an order of the Superior Court of Orange County, David R. Chaffee, Judge. Affirmed. Vaughn & Vaughn, Donald A. Vaughn and Jeffrey S. Herman for Defendants and Appellants. Klein & Wilson and Gerald A. Klein for Plaintiff and Respondent. * * *

ReadyLink, Inc. (ReadyLink) filed a complaint against Western Medical Center Santa Ana and three other hospitals (collectively, Hospitals), as well as the Hospitals’ parent corporation, Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (IHHI) (collectively, Hospital Defendants).1 ReadyLink asserted causes of action for fraud and breach of contract in connection with certain supplemental staffing agreements whereby ReadyLink provided temporary nursing personnel to the Hospitals. The Hospital Defendants filed an anti-SLAPP motion with respect to the fraud causes of action, asserting that those causes of action pertained to their protected activity in connection with two prior lawsuits. We affirm the denial of the anti-SLAPP motion. The fraud causes of action were based on the allegation that the Hospitals negotiated and entered into the supplemental staffing agreements knowing they never intended to pay ReadyLink for the services they used. This was not protected activity under Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16, subdivision (b)(1). I FACTS In June and July 2010, ReadyLink executed supplemental staffing agreements with the Hospitals. The agreements were two years in duration. Pursuant to one of those agreements, ReadyLink provided temporary nurse Suvarna Durgiah, R.N. to Western Medical Center Santa Ana. Thereafter, in September 2011, Daniel Stearns filed a medical malpractice action against Western Medical Center Santa Ana and two doctors (Stearns Malpractice Lawsuit).