Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00880/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00880-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Department of Health and Human Services
Defendant
Drusilla Lowery
Plaintiff
Clayton Reinhardt
Defendant
Shasta Community Health Center
Defendant
United States of America
Defendant

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STIPULATION FOR DISMISSAL OF DHHS 2:07-cv-00880 RRB-DAD

McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

KELLI L. TAYLOR

Assistant United States Attorney

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 554-2741

Facsimile: (916) 554-2900

Attorneys for Defendants United States of America

and Department of Health and Human Services

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DRUSILLA LOWERY and STEVE )

LOWERY, )

)

Plaintiffs, )

)

v. )

)

CLAYTON REINHARDT, D.O., )

SHASTA COMMUNITY HEALTH )

CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH )

AND HUMAN SERVICES and UNITED )

STATES OF AMERICA, )

)

Defendants. )

 )

)

2:07-cv-00880-RRB-DAD

STIPULATED DISMISSAL OF

DEFENDANT THE DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND

ORDER THEREON

Trial: August 3, 2009

Plaintiffs DRUSILLA AND STEVE LOWERY and DEFENDANTS THE UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,

CLAYTON REINHARDT, D.O. and SHASTA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, by and

through their counsel of record, STIPULATE that the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES is not a proper party to this action. Specifically, paragraph D of the parties’

August 16, 2007 Joint Status report states, in its entirety:

All parties stipulate to the dismissal of the Department of Health and Human Services

since there is no circumstances in which it is a proper party to this action. The parties do

not anticipate any amendments to the pleadings.

Case 2:07-cv-00880-RRB-DAD Document 19 Filed 12/20/07 Page 1 of 3
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STIPULATION FOR DISMISSAL OF DHHS 2:07-cv-00880 RRB-DAD 2

(Joint Statement, Court Docket (“CD”) #14, 3, 8-10, attached again hereto as Exhibit A, 3:8-10).

This stipulation was based on the fact that if a proper basis for the FTCA claim were

asserted, the United States would be the only appropriate party and not DHHS. See Federal Tort

Claims Act (“FTCA”), 28 U.S.C. section 1346(b), 2671 et seq. Moreover, absent the assertion of

a valid FTCA claim, DHHS is still not a proper party. Accordingly, all parties agreed and

stipulated to the dismissal of the Department of Health and Human Services. (CD #14, 3:8-10,

Ex. A; email dated December 16, 2007, Ex. B.) 

The parties disagree on whether the federal district court has subject matter jurisdiction of

this action. Specifically, the United States and the Department of Health and Human Services

(“DHHS”) contend that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction since the United States has not

waived its sovereign immunity for purposes of this action and the requirements of the Federally

Supported Health Centers Assistance Act (“FSHCAA”), 42 U.S.C. § 233 and 42 C.F.R.§§ 6.1

through 6 have not been met. Accordingly, jurisdiction has not been established. The

stipulation for dismissal of defendant Department of Heath and Human Services does not impact

the parties’ jurisdictional arguments. 

The parties thus stipulated to the dismissal of Defendant the DEPARTMENT OF

HEATH AND HUMAN SERVICES.

Dated: December 19, 2007 /s/Kelli L. Taylor 

KELLI L. TAYLOR

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Attorneys for Defendants

United States of America and Department of

Health and Human Services

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STIPULATION FOR DISMISSAL OF DHHS 2:07-cv-00880 RRB-DAD 3

ORDER

The Court has reviewed the parties stipulation and reasons stated by counsel for

the stipulated dismissal of the Department of Health and Human Services. Based thereon, 

the court finds that good legal cause exists for the dismissal of Defendant THE

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. The request and stipulation

are therefore granted and the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

is hereby dismissed as a Defendant from this action.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

December 20, 2007

/s/ Ralph R. Beistline 

Honorable Judge Ralph R. Beistline

United States District Judge 

for the Eastern District of California

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