The Children's Mercy Hospital v. Molina Healthcare of Illinois, Inc. et al

Filing 10

ORDER CONFIRMING ARBITRATION AWARD, 1 . Signed on 8/30/17 by District Judge Nanette K. Laughrey. (Matthes Mitra, Renea)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
CENTRAL DIVISION
THE CHILDREN’S MERCY HOSPITAL,

Plaintiff,
v.
ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH,
LLC and MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF
ILLINOIS, INC.,
Defendants.

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Case No: 4:17-cv-00552-NKL

ORDER CONFIRMING ARBITRATION AWARD
Plaintiff The Children’s Mercy Hospital moves for confirmation of a final arbitration
award entered in its favor, pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C.§§ 1and 16. Doc. 1.
Having considered Plaintiff’s motion and exhibits, the Hospital Provider Agreement containing
the arbitration agreement between the parties, Doc. 2-1, and the Award of Arbitrators dated
June 30, 2017, Doc. 2-2, the motion is granted.
Judicial review of an arbitration award is extremely limited. See Stolt–Nielsen S.A. v.
Animal Feeds Int'l Corp., 130 S.Ct. 1758, 1767 (2010). In reviewing an arbitrator's award, the
district court “is restricted by the great deference accorded arbitration awards.” Williams v. Nat'l
Football League, 582 F.3d 863, 883 (8th Cir. 2009). See also Boise Cascade Corp. v. Paper
Allied–Indus., Chem. & Energy Workers, 309 F.3d 1075, 1080 (8th Cir. 2002) (when reviewing
arbitration award, court must “accord an extraordinary level of deference to the underlying award
itself”). “[F]ederal courts are not authorized to reconsider the merits of an arbitral award, ‘even
though the parties may allege that the award rests on errors of fact or on misinterpretation of the

contract.’” Id. at 1080 (citations omitted).
Here, the parties’ Hospital Provider Agreement states that the award rendered by
arbitration would be final and binding, and that “judgment upon the award may be entered in any
court of competent jurisdiction in the United States.” Doc. 2-1, p. 22. The arbitration took place
in Kansas City, Missouri and the Award of Arbitrators provided that Award fully disposed all
claims. Doc. 22, p. 1. Defendants Alliance for Community Health LLC and Molina Healthcare
of Illinois, Inc. have not opposed the motion. No reason appears from the record which would
prevent confirmation of the final arbitration award.
Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED that The Children’s Mercy Hospital’s Motion to
Confirm Final Arbitration Award, Doc. 1, is granted, and that judgment is entered in the amount
of $2,065,094.93, plus interest on this amount at the rate of nine percent (9%) per annum since
June 30, 2017, in favor of The Children’s Mercy Hospital and against Alliance for Community
Health, LLC and Molina Healthcare of Illinois, Inc., jointly and severally.

s/ Nanette K. Laughrey
NANETTE K. LAUGHREY
United States District Judge
Dated: August 30, 2017
Jefferson City, Missouri

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