Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00997/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-00997-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center
Plaintiff
Time Insurance Company
Defendant
University Medical Center
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA – FRESNO DIVISION

CASE NO.: 1:07-cv-00997-LJO-SMS

STIPULATION TO AND QUALIFIED

PROTECTIVE ORDER

FRESNO COMMUNITY HOSPITAL AND

MEDICAL CENTER, dba UNIVERSITY

MEDICAL CENTER, a California not for

profit corporation,

Plaintiff,

vs.

TIME INSURANCE COMPANY dba

ASSURANT HEALTH, a Wisconsin for

profit corporation, and DOES 1 through 25,

inclusive,

Defendants.

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FRESNO COMMUNITY HOSPITAL (Plaintiff) and TIME INSURANCE COMPANY

(“Time”), (collectively the “Parties”), enter into this stipulation based on the following facts:

A. This action will likely involve the production and disclosure of (i) “protected health

information,” as that term is used in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

(Pub. L. 104-191), and regulations promulgated there under at 45 C.F. R. Parts 160-164; (ii)

“medical information,” as that term is used in California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information

Act, Civil Code Section 56 et seq, and; (iii) other information which may be confidential and/or

Case 1:07-cv-00997-LJO -SMS Document 11 Filed 12/13/07 Page 1 of 7
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proprietary in nature. Categories (i) and (ii) are hereinafter referred to as “Protected Information”

and category (iii) is referred to as “Confidential Information.”

B. Under applicable federal regulations, a “qualified protective order” includes, with

respect to protected health information, an order of a court or administrative tribunal, or a stipulation

by the parties to the litigation in accordance with statutory requirements. 

C. California Civil Code Section 56.1(b)(3) permits the disclosure of “Protected Medical

Information” by parties to proceedings before a court, pursuant to any provision authorizing

discovery in such proceeding.

In light of the foregoing, the Parties, by and through their counsel of record, STIPULATE TO

THE FOLLOWING:

1.This Stipulation and its Order entered thereon, constitute a Qualified Protective Order as

defined at 45 C.F.R. Section 164.512(e). 

2. Protected Information or material shall mean all information or material that a party

reasonably and in good faith believes to constitute or contain private or protected

medical information, including health records that otherwise constitute private and/or

confidential material, and shall specifically include the health records of the patient at

issue in this action (“the Patient”).

3. The term "documents," as that term is used in this Stipulation and [Proposed]

Qualified Protective Order ("Protective Order"), shall have the same meaning as in

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

4 Documents produced to any party may be designated and marked as "Confidential." 

Such designated documents will be defined as "Confidential Documents" for the

purposes of this Protective Order.

5 Deposition testimony may be designated as "Confidential" either at the time of the

deposition, or within 30 days after the deposition transcript is made available to all

parties. Such designated testimony will be defined as "Confidential Testimony" for

the purposes of this Protective Order.

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6. The Parties will not use or disclose Protected Information, Confidential Documents or

Confidential Testimony (collectively referred to as “Protected and Confidential

Information”) in pleadings, law and motion submissions, or discovery for any purpose

other than in this action which includes settlement discussions, mediation and any

other alternative dispute resolution proceeding or efforts. This Protective Order:

(A) Prohibits the parties from using or disclosing Protected and

Confidential Information for any purpose other than in this litigation;

and

(B) a.Requires the return to the producing party or the destruction of the

Protected and Confidential Information (including all copies made) at

the end of the litigation or proceeding. 

7. Any party producing Protected and Confidential Documents in discovery, submitting

Protected and Confidential Information to the Court, or otherwise disclosing

Protected and Confidential Information to the Court, or otherwise disclosing

Protected and Confidential Information shall mark in a reasonably conspicuous

manner the Protected and Confidential Information “Confidential- Subject to

Protective Order,” or with words of similar meaning.

8. Protected and Confidential Information designated as “Confidential – Subject to

Protective Order” may be disclosed only to the following “Qualified Persons,” as

defined below:

a. Counsel of record for the parties in this action, and employees of such

counsel;

b. The parties to this action;

c. Any author, addressee or other proper recipient of the disclosed

Protected and Confidential Information, provided that such person

shall be a Qualified Person by virtue of this subsection only with

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respect to documents of which such person was the author, addressee

or other proper recipient;

d. A witness, other than the parties, during that witness's deposition or

hearing testimony provided, however, that witness shall not retain any

copies of the Protected and Confidential Information or the deposition

or hearing transcripts designated pursuant to paragraph 5 of this

Stipulation. In addition, the party that designated the documents or

transcripts "Confidential" pursuant to this Order may object to the

unnecessary or improper disclosure of such Confidential Documents or

Confidential Testimony to the witness and may seek appropriate relief

to prevent such disclosure.

E. Experts, consultants, and other vendors such as photocopiers,

investigators, litigation support services, (together with their staff)

expressly employed or retained by counsel of record to assist in the

litigation of the above-captioned action;

f. Any stenographic reporter, videographic reporter or videographer

(other than a court employed reporter) involved in any deposition,

hearing or other pre-trial proceeding in this action, provided that such

person shall be a Qualified Person by virtue of this subsection only

with respect to documents that are disclosed during such deposition,

hearing or other pre-trial proceeding; 

g. A mediator or other alternative dispute resolution provider;

h The Court, as restricted in Paragraph 9;

i. Any other person to whom the parties mutually agree in writing.

Prior to receiving any Protected or Confidential Information, each Qualified Person described

in subparagraph (d) and (e) shall execute a nondisclosure agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto. 

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Each such Qualified Person agrees to be bound by this Protective Order, and further agrees to secure

and strictly maintain the confidentiality of all such Protected and Confidential Information. All

counsel shall maintain copies of any executed nondisclosure agreements they obtain pursuant to this

Protective Order until one year after the termination of the above-captioned action. Copies of such

nondisclosure agreements shall be provided to counsel for the other party, upon written request or a

request made on the record in open court or at a deposition: (a) at the deposition of any Qualified

Person required to sign a nondisclosure agreement by this section; (b) not later than fifteen (15) days

prior to trial, or within three (3) business days following a request made later than fifteen (15) days

prior to trial, for any experts who may testify at the trial but who have not been deposed; (c) upon the

written request of counsel for the other party if the Qualified Person is not an expert, consultant or

other person the identify of which is not subject to work product protection; or (d) upon the written

request of counsel for the other party in the event such counsel has a good faith belief that the person

to whom Protected or Confidential Information have been disclosed has failed to abide by the terms

of this Protected Order.

9. To the extent any party wishes to use Protected and Confidential Information in, or as

an exhibit to, a filing with the Court prior to trial, the exhibit, or other portion of the filing containing

the Protected and Confidential Information must be placed in a sealed envelope with the legend

“Sealed Pursuant to Protective Order” place on the outside of the envelope.

10. The purpose of this Protective Order is to protect Protected and Confidential

Information disclosed during the discovery process. This Agreement does not and is not intended to

restrict a party’s use of such documents or testimony at trial.

11. Any party may, for good cause, challenge another party’s designation of information

as “Protected and Confidential Information.”

12. This Protective Order will not prejudice the right of either party to oppose production

of any information on the grounds of attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine,

or any other privilege or protection provided under the law.

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13. If a third party produces discovery in this action, the provisions of this Protective

Order shall apply to such third-party discovery and testimony as if such discovery or

testimony was being provided by a party. Under such circumstances, the third party

shall have the same rights and obligations under this Protective Order as held by the

parties to this action.

14. Entering into, agreeing to and/or complying with the terms of this Protective Order

shall not:

a. Prejudice in any way the rights of any party to apply to the Court for a

further protective order relating to any purportedly confidential

information; or

b. Prejudice in any way the rights of any party to object to the

authenticity or admissibility into evidence of any document, testimony

or other evidence subject to this Protective Order.

15. The terms of this Protective Order shall survive and remain in full force and effect

after the termination of this litigation.

At the conclusion of the above-captioned action, all Protected Information (including

all copies) shall either be returned to the producing party, or destroyed. In the latter case, the party

destroying the Protected Information shall so attest in writing to the other party.

Dated: GORDON & REES LLP

By:

Robert Bragalone

Leslie K. Crary

Attorneys for Defendant TIME

INSURANCE COMPANY

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Dated: 

By:

Eligio Jose Luevanos

Attorneys for Plaintiff FRESNO

COMMUNITY HOSPITAL 

Good cause appearing

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 13, 2007 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

b9ed48 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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