Terminated neonatal director is awarded $4.95 million

A jury has awarded the former director of neonatal intensive care at Kansas City-based Research Medical Center and Independence, MO-based Centerpoint Medical Center $4.95 million in a lawsuit over his termination. The jury found in favor of William H. Topper on his claims of wrongful interference and defamation against Research; Centerpoint; HCA Midwest Division, the owner of the hospitals; and HCA Physician Services, the HCA unit that employs physicians. Topper was awarded $1.1 million in compensatory damages and $2.1 million in punitive damages on the wrongful-interference claim. It awarded him an additional $1 million in compensatory damages and $750,000 in punitive damages on the defamation claim.