Case Information
*1
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO
Magistrate Judge Boyd N. Boland
Civil Action No. 10-cv-01144-REB-BNB THE ARC OF THE PIKES PEAK REGION, as legal guardian for Angela Bream, Greg Catlett, Gordon Cummins, Vera Guion, Mary Rodgers and Tino Valencia, SHARON HARRISON and MICHELLE BOWER, as legal guardians for Randy Bower, and KARLA DIAZ and CELESTINO PAUL DIAZ, as legal guardian for Felipe Cantrell Cervantes, Plaintiffs, v.
NATIONAL MENTOR HOLDINGS, INC., d/b/a/ The Mentor Network, its successor and its assignees, REM COLORADO, INC., its successors and assignees; and JAN BLOSSER, Defendants.
DISCLOSURE ORDER
This matter arises on Defendants' Motion for Order Confirming That Defense
Counsel May Conduct Ex Parte Witness Interviews of Plaintiffs' Treating Healthcare
Providers [Doc. # 74, filed 11/18/2010] (the "Motion"). I held a hearing on the Motion and took it under advisement. The Motion is GRANTED as specified.
This action is brought by the legal guardians of the following disabled persons: Angela Bream, Greg Catlett, Gordon Cummins, Vera Guion, Mary Rodgers, Tino Valencia, Randy Bower, and Felipe Cantrell Cervantes (the "Wards").
*2 The defendants seek leave to conduct ex parte interviews of certain of the Wards' health care providers subject to a disclosure order [1] entered pursuant to 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(e)(1)(i); Samms v. District Court, 908 P.2d 520, 524-29 (Colo. 1995); and Reutter v. Weber, 179 P.3d 977, 979 (Colo. 2007). Following the hearing, I allowed the plaintiffs an opportunity to identify any areas of health care where they claimed either (1) that there is residually privileged health care information or (2) that the health care information is not at issue in this case, is irrelevant, and should be excluded from the scope of this Disclosure Order. See Order [Doc. # 89] at p. 2. That opportunity notwithstanding, the plaintiffs have failed to identify any health care information that should be excluded.
Section 164.512(e)(1)(i), 45 C.F.R., provides that a covered entity may disclose protected health information without the written consent of an individual where the information is sought in connection with a judicial proceeding and "[i]n response to an order of a court . . . provided that the covered entity discloses only the protected health information expressly authorized by [the] order." This is a court order pursuant to 45 C.F.R 164.512(e)(1)(i) allowing the disclosure of health information without the written consent of the individual.
In Samms v. District Court, the Colorado Supreme Court held: When a patient initiates a civil action and by alleging a physical or mental condition as the basis for a claim of damages injects that issue into the case, the patient thereby impliedly waives his or her physician-patient privilege with respect to that medical condition. [1] I adopt the reasoning of Judge Waxse in Brigham v. Colyer, 2010 WL 2131967 *2 (D. Kan. May 27, 2010), which distinguishes a disclosure of protected health information made in response to a court disclosure order pursuant to 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(e)(1)(i), on the one hand, from disclosure made in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process and subject to a qualified protective order pursuant to 45 C.F.R. § 164.512(e)(1)(ii), on the other hand.
*3 [A] trial court has authority to permit a defense attorney to conduct informal interviews with a plaintiff's treating physicians in the absence of the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney about matters not subject to a physician-patient privilege so long as the plaintiff is given reasonable notice of such interviews to permit the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney to attend or to take other appropriate steps to ensure that privileged information will not be disclosed.
908 P. 2 d at 524,529 .
The Colorado Supreme Court further explained this holding in Reutter v. Webber: Samms did not create a blanket rule that a plaintiff is always entitled to attend an interview of a non-party medical provider. Instead, it held that the trial court should take appropriate measures to protect against the divulgement of residually privileged information, and that allowing the plaintiff to attend the interview is the preferred measure where there is a high risk that residually privileged information will be divulged.
179 P. 3 d at 979 .
The defendants seek a disclosure order allowing them to conduct ex parte interviews of the Wards' health care providers identified on Exhibit A (the "Subject Providers") concerning all care provided to the Wards, or any of them, for the time period January 1, 2002, to the present. The plaintiffs concede that all care provided during that time period is relevant to the Wards' claims and have failed to identify any residually privileged information which should be excluded from the scope of this Disclosure Order.
The plaintiffs, as guardians, have placed the medical conditions of the Wards at issue by filing this action. I find that all health care provided to the Wards by the Subject Providers from January 1, 2002, to the present is relevant to the claims asserted or is reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence, and is discoverable. I find that the Subject
*4 Providers have no residually privileged information. Consequently, I find that there is no reason to allow the plaintiffs, their Wards, or their counsel to attend the defendants' interviews of the Subject Providers.
By filing the Motion, the defendants gave the Wards and their guardians reasonable notice of the interviews they intend to conduct. Also by filing the Motion, the defendants provided the Wards and their guardians with an opportunity to take appropriate steps--by resisting the Motion, filing a motion for protective order, or otherwise--to ensure that irrelevant or residually privileged information is not disclosed. The defendants have satisfied the notice obligation imposed by P.2d at 526 (requiring that the plaintiff must be given reasonable notice of any proposed informal interviews).
This Order allows the defendants and their counsel to conduct ex parte interviews of the Subject Providers. The Subject Providers are not required to meet with or talk to the defendants or their counsel, however.
IT IS ORDERED that the Motion [Doc. # 74] is GRANTED as specified below: (1) The Wards, through their guardians, have waived the physician-patient privilege with respect to any and all health care services provided to the Wards by the Subject Providers from January 1, 2002, to the present; (2) Pursuant to 45 C.F.R 164.512(e)(1)(i), the Subject Providers are authorized, without the written consent of the Wards or their guardians, to disclose to defendants and their counsel the Wards' health information for the period January 1, 2002, to the present; (3) The defendants and their counsel are authorized to conduct ex parte interviews of the Subject Providers, without the written consent of the Wards or their guardians, but the
*5 Subject Providers are not required to meet with or talk to the defendants or their counsel; (4) All health care information disclosed pursuant to this Disclosure Order is and shall be subject to the Protective Order [Doc. # 70]; and (5) The defendants shall provide a copy of this Disclosure Order to each Subject
Provider at least three days prior to interviewing the Subject Provider. Dated December 22, 2010. BY THE COURT:
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EXHIBIT A TO DISCLOSURE ORDER
Subject Providers
Angela Bream
Charles Higgins, M.D. (PCP) Lawrence Adams, M.D. (neurology) Ruth Ryan, M.D. John Robert Swenson, DPM (podiatry) Debra Mascarenas (Goodwill) Aginah DeBerry, D.O. (PCP) Timothy Stacey, DDS, Dentist Peter McIntyre, DDS, Dentist Dr. McHugh, Hearing Dr. Gehler, Vision Mindy Siegel, M.D., Orthopedics Dr. Wiertman, Endocrinologist Sandra Yaney, RXN, MN, MPH Dr. Robert Vogt
James Salbenblatt, MD
Jonathan P. Weston MD
Dr. Michael R. Bowen
Dr. Kelly H. Shimokusu
Dr. Kimble
Kinesa Lindner, LPN
Kipp Elaine Henning, DPM
Dr. Ferguson
Robert H. Gibbs, MD
Dr. Laura Kissell
Joyce Vernon, RN
Renee Barall-Inman, N.P.
Dr. Gregg, OB/Gyn
Greg Catlett
Charles Higgins, M.D. (PCP) Sean O'Donnell, M.D. (PCP) Bhaktasharan Patel, M.D. (GI specialist) Chuck Schoephoerster, PA Peter McIntyre, DDS Melissa Tada, OD Michael Taravella, M.D. John Robert Swenson, DPM (podiatry) Dr. Cannon Kip Elaine Henning, DPM Lee Blatt, M.D. Kim Green, LMT Dave Benson, OTR J. Maggie Mueller, OTR
Janice Stoddard, PT Richard Loehr, M.D. Richard Hartl, M.D. Charles Webb, M.D. Douglas Cross, M.D. Karl Wolff, M.D. Stacy O. Greenspan, D.O. Steven Mohnssen, M.D. Pratheep Arora, M.D. W. Michael Pitman, M.D.
Dugard Taylor, M.D.
Karen Merrill, MSRD Christi Clay, Psychiatrist Anna Spurgeon L. Cheryl Lambert
Acosto Vilacencia Hennyon Marshall Carolun Johnson, R.N. J. West, R.N. C. Heltern, R.N. M. Murphy, R.N.
Neimyon Marks D. Mercer, LPN
Shari Fiches, R.N. Joyce Vernon, R.N. Linda Schmitz Karen Gobel, LPN Meg Casey, R.N. Mary Ann Stambaugh, PTA Dr. Gifford Gregory Collins, M.D. Jonathan Velez, M.D. Douglas Sharp, D.O. Lynne Stempien, M.D. Charles Wennogle, M.D.
*7
EXHIBIT A TO DISCLOSURE ORDER
Subject Providers
Gordon Cumming
Aginah DeBerry, M.D. (PCP) Charles Higgins, M.D. (PCP) Thomas Bowser, M.D. (neurology) Dr. Peter A. McIntyre Dr. Wahl Dr. Hockensmith (Genitourinary) John Robert Swenson, DPM (podiatry) Dr. Gehler (Optometry) Dr. Michelle L. Reamise (Optometry) Dr. Newcomer (Cardiovascular)
Mary Rodgers
Aginah DeBerry, M.D. (PCP) Charles Higgins, M.D. (PCP) Sandra Yaney, FNP Melissa McGee Sarah Owen Jennifer Williams, M.S. Dr. Westcott Michelle Moran, M.D. Mciej Oksiak, PT David Wolf, M.D. Larry Shores, M.D. Natalie Hogan, M.D. Bonnie Goetz
Tino Valencia
Ruth Ryan, M.D. (psychiatry) Dr. Arthur Egelman Charles Johnson, M.D. (PCP) Laurence Lopez, M.D.
Dr. Thomas Bower (Neurology) Dr. Sickbert Lisa Shurgot, SLP (Speech Therapy) Joyce Vernon, R.N. Shari Fiches, RN C. Johnston, RN
Dr. McHugh (ears) Dr. Phelps (follow-up on femur operation) S. McCormick, NP (Emergicare for bronchitis)
Jennifer Williams, M.S. Melissa Megee Dr. Westcott Dola Dennis Peter McIntyre, DDS Michael Billingsly, DDS Dr. Eric Medavilla James Berwick, DDS Michael Billingsly, DDS Dr. Tim Reese Debra Baker, APRN, CNP Dr. Bhatti (neurosurgery)
Michael Carrizal, D.O. Mary Jo Dase Peter McIntyre, DDS Dr. Kulman (optometry)
Felipe Cervantes
Sean O'Donnell, M.D. (PCP) Michael Derose, D.D.S. Dr. Gravbert Robert L. Carlisle, M.D. Michael DeRose, DDS John Robert Swenson, DPM (podiatry) Mindy J. Siegel Dr. Melissa Tada Laurence J. Cohen, D.O. Marilyn J. Gifford, M.D.
Dr. Everson Linda Schmitz Joyce Vernon, R.N. Karen A. Merrill Richard B. Madsen, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist Richard E. Loehr, M.D. Paul V. Connaughton, M.D. Bruce Campbell
*8
EXHIBIT A TO DISCLOSURE ORDER
Subject Providers
Vera Guion
Aginah DeBerry, M.D. (PCP) Dana Bennett, M.D. (PCP) Scott F. Sickbert, M.D. Karen Campbell, M.D. (PCP) Dianne DeMallie, M.D. (psychiatry) Ruth Ryan, M.D. (psychiatry) Sandra Yaney, N.P. Thomas Bowser, M.D. (neurology) Erik Anderson, M.D. Rick S. Pionkowski, M.D. Colleen Eisman, R.N. John E. Ho, M.D. Deanne L. Veselka, M.D. Dr. Melissa Tada Dr. Tom Clyde (optometry) Dr. Davidson Dennis P. Driscoll, DDS Peter McIntyre, DDS Dr. Patel, M.D. (Gastroenterologist) Melissa A. Tada, O.D. (Optometry) Dr. Tom W. Clyde (Optometry) Dr. C. Erik Anderson Karen Merrill, MSRD Dr. Jon Westcot Dr. Harnish Dr. Marilyn Warren Dr. Chiquita L. Isom Dr. Randolph Maul Scott B. Woody, D.O. Mary Theresa Cole Diane Butler, OTR Cari Vermillion, CNA Dr. Scott F. Sickbert MaryAnn Stambaugh, PTA M. Bjork, M.D.
Karen Gobel, LPN Lisa M. Bonwell, M.D. (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) Dr. Evilser (Memorial Hospital, February 2008)
William B. Kimble (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) C. Erik Anderson, M.D. (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) Stacy Greenspan (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) Paul Connaughton (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) Karl Wolff (Memorial Hospital, February 2008)
Dr. Warren Goldstein (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) Dr. Monte Golditch (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) Dr. Joseph W. Ziegler (Memorial Hospital, February 2008) David R. Steinbruner, MD Dr. John E. Ho Thomas Bowser Dr. Mason B. Kates Timothy W. Wyse John R. Tyler, D.O. Jeffrey W. Ross, M.D. Douglas Shaeffer, M.D. John Campbell, M.D. Dr. Deanne L. Veselka Angel Brock, RN Jean Breem
*9
EXHIBIT A TO DISCLOSURE ORDER
Subject Providers
Randy Bower
Charles Higgins, M.D. (PCP) Aginah DeBerry, M.D. (PCP) Ed Schmitt, M.D. (PCP) Roger Sung, M.D. (musculoskeletal) Lawrence Adams, M.D. (neurology) Sana Bhatti, M.D. Peter McIntyre, DDS Timothy Stacey, DDS Dr. Eugene McHugh Wallace Larson, M.D. Michael Feign, M.D. John Robert Swenson, DPM (podiatry) Lisa Shurgot, SLP Regina Donley, OT Karen Merrill, MSRD Dr. William Munson (endocrinology) Dr. David Manchester (endocrinology) Bhaktasharan Patel, M.D. (Gastroenterology) Joseph Lemmons, M.D. Phillip Gunther, M.D. Robert Crowley, MA Anthony Young Joan Solis, QMRP John Rodriquez Kristen Nelson Ramona Chaney Carol Bemends Mark Schomack, OTR Herb Brockman Linda Kehemeir Don Thompson Kelly Cooper Brenda Sampson Sary Hilty Susan Duncanson Carolyn DeSalvo Karen Bartlett Thomas Higginbotham, DO C. Bartlett, M.D.
Lori McGavran, Ph.D. (Genetics) Linda Schmitz Meg Evans, OTR Meg Casey, OTR Joyce Vernon, R.N. A. Spurgeon
Dorothy Bennett, R.N. J. Renard
Mary Ann Stambaugh Acosto Villacencia Mary Ann Stambaugh, PTA John Torrent, M.D. Dorothy Bennett, R.N. D.C. Mayes, M.D.
Bhaktasharan Patel, M.D. Edward Schmitt, M.D. Tammy Shields, M.D. Charles Webb, M.D. Mark Storm, M.D. William Kimble, M.D. Gregory Tietz James Garland Oscar Arguello-Rudin, M.D. J. Patrick Stout, M.D., Pathology
Dr. Gossett Patricia Fodor, M.D. Harry Anderson, M.D. David Ascarelli, M.D. John Baer, M.D. Randall Bjork, M.D. Joseph Clark, M.D. Mel Robinson, M.D. Timothy Jamison, M.D. Julie Kiley, M.D. Jean Keane, M.D. Dr. Evilsizer Dr. Galloway Richard Miller, M.D. John Torrent, M.D. Paul Safford, PAC Tom Tafoya, M.D.
*10
EXHIBIT A TO DISCLOSURE ORDER
Subject Providers
Richard Heitman, MD (Catiett) William G. Herrera, MD (Catiett, Rodgers) Charles Patrick Higgins, DO (Bower, Cumming) Linnea C Hughes, PA (Bower) Steven R Hughes, MD Chiquita Isom, CFNP Mark J. James, MD (Rodgers) Douglas Jeffers, PA Charles Johnson, DO (Valencia) Dr. Jost (Catiett) M Ben Kates, MD (Bream, Cateett, Rodgers) Julie M Kiley, MD (Catiett, Cumming) William K Kimble, MD William F. Kinn, MD Todd Knauf, PA (Bower) Martin Kron, MD (Bream) Mark Alan Levstik, DO Michael Loew, MD (Catiett, Rodgers) Lawrence Lopez, MD (Valencia) Matthew A Lowery, MD David K. Manchester, MD (Bower) Cindy McCollom, PAC Peter A. McIntyre, DDS Dr. Munson (Bower) Matthew T Murray, MD Ruth Mize Myers, MD (Valencia, Guion) Grace Nweke, MD Dr. Sean C. O'Donnell (Catiett, Cervantes) Herald Ostovar, MD (Rodgers) Dr. Leticia M Overholt Ashok R Patel, MD Dr. Bhaktasharan Patel (Catiett, Guion) Dernis A. Phelps, MD (Cumming) Samuel Piedad Jr., MD (Bream) Ronald L Rains, MD (Guion) Tim Reese, OD Linda Schmitz, MSPT (Bower)
Charles Schoephoerster, PA, MPH (Cateett, Cervantes) Douglas W. Sharp, DO (Catiett) Phillip Shriver, MD Steven P Sloan, MD Betty Sparks, WH-CNP Dr. Donald Spradlin Timothy F. Stacey, DDS (Bower, Bream) Linda R. Sturtevant, MD Dr. Sung (Bower) Dr. J.R. Swenson Melissa A. Tada, OD (Guion) Gregory C Tietz, DO (Bower) Gregory S Timm, MD Jonathan A Velez, MD Joyce E. Vernon, RN Brock C. Vickery, MD Richard Walsh, MD (Cumming) Charles W. Webb, MD (Catiett, Rodgers) Eric R. Weidman, MD (Catiett) Sandra Yaney, RN (Bream, Guion) Susan Zeller, MME, MT-BC