Michael R. Callahan, a Chicago-based partner in the Firm’s Health Care Practice, was quoted in a recent American Medical News article about physician-hospital conflicts over quality of care pushing medical staff bylaw issues into the courts. In the article, Mr. Callahan notes that if both sides reach an impasse, hospitals have a right to act, and that if bylaws are silent on a particular issue, that also raises questions for the court. “Sometimes public policy considerations will take precedence," he says. “If a hospital can say, 'We met with the medical executive committee and tried to work things out, and we made a good faith effort [to follow the bylaws], but at the end of the day we have to do what we have to do and here’s why,' that's not the end of it, but at least a judge will understand,” (“Bulletproof bylaws: Maintaining the right to protect doctors -- and patients,” February 11, 2008).