Ayers v. Commissioner Perry Phelps

CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedApril 4, 2024
Docket1:19-cv-01738
StatusUnknown

This text of Ayers v. Commissioner Perry Phelps (Ayers v. Commissioner Perry Phelps) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ayers v. Commissioner Perry Phelps, (D. Del. 2024).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE JARREAU A. AYERS, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) C.A. No. 19-1738 (JLH) ) MARC RICHMAN, ) ) Defendant. )

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Jarreau A. Ayers, SCI Camp Hill, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Pro Se Plaintiff. Robert Michael Kleiner, Delaware Department of Justice, Wilmington, Delaware. Counsel for Defendant.

April 4, 2024 Wilmington, Delaware

nd J fed I. INTRODUCTION Plaintiff Jarreau A. Ayers (“Plaintiff”) is an inmate who was formerly confined at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (“JTVCC”) in Smyrna, Delaware, and the Sussex Correctional Institution (“SCI”) in Sussex, Delaware, but is now housed at a Pennsylvania prison. He filed this action on January 17, 2019, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. (See D.I. 1, 2, 3.)' Plaintiff appears pro se and proceeds in forma pauperis. The Amended Complaint is the active pleading. (D.I. 6.) The only remaining Defendant is Dr. Mare Richman, Ph.D., Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Healthcare, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health Services (“BHSAMHS’”) for the Delaware Department of Correction (*DDOC”). Before the Court are Dr. Richman’s motion for summary judgment (D.I. 102) and Plaintiff's motion for leave to file a second amended complaint adding two defendants—Dr. Vincent Carr, M.D., and Dr. Christopher Moen, M.D. (D.I. 106.)? The motions are fully briefed. This case was recently re-assigned to me, and I now resolve the pending motions as follows.

' Plaintiff was one of several inmates who filed a consolidated Complaint in Staats v. Phelps, Civ. No. 19-101-LPS. (D.L 3.) Upon screening, the Court dismissed the Complaint as frivolous and for failure to state a claim pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1915(e)(2)(B)(i), (ii) and 1915A(b)(1) and severed the case into five individual cases, one of which was opened on behalf of Plaintiff. (See D.I. 1, 2.) Plaintiff was given leave to file an amended complaint, and he did so. (D.1. 6.) ? Plaintiff has also filed a motion for leave to file a sur-reply (D.I. 122), which will be granted, and Richman has filed a motion to strike Plaintiff's sur-reply (D.I. 119), which will be denied.

Il. BACKGROUND A. Factual Background The Court reviews the evidence of record in the light most favorable to Plaintiff. On October 11, 2016, Plaintiff, then incarcerated at JTVCC, was seen in the medical unit after injuring his knee while jogging. (D.J. 105 at 61.) An x-ray and MRI were promptly ordered and performed. On November 17, 2016, a consult request form for an orthopedic consultation was completed by a nurse practitioner, noting that an offsite consultant had reviewed Plaintiff's x- ray and MRI and concluded that Plaintiff had torn his ACL. (/d. at 9-11.) On December 21, 2016, Plaintiff was seen at Bayhealth Ortho and it was recommended that he follow up with Dr. Crawford for “likely surgery” related to a torn ACL and medial/lateral meniscus tears. (/d. at 12, 58-59.) An appointment was scheduled for early February 2017, but it was rescheduled to late March 2017 because of an emergency lockdown of JTVCC following a prisoner uprising, in which Plaintiff participated. (Jd. at 57.) A March 30, 2017 note in Plaintiff's medical file indicated that he had a pre-op visit scheduled for April, that lab work had been ordered for pre- op testing, and that, in May, Plaintiff would undergo a “knee arthroscopy with ACL reconstruction with allograft, partial medial/lateral meniscectomies.” (/d. at 55.) The pre-op appointment was scheduled for April 25, 2017, but apparently occurred on May 2, 2017. (/d. at 53-54.) The surgery was scheduled for May 31, 2017. (/d. at 19, 51-52.) On May 16. 2017, however, Plaintiff's medical records reflect that “Sx [surgery] cancelled, inmate aware of sx date.. [sic] no plans at this time to reschedule. Awaiting directive from CMO [Chief Medical

3 Plaintiff was later convicted of charges stemming from his role in the riot. Ayers v. State, 251 A.3d 637, 638 (Del. 2021).

Officer, Dr. Christopher Moen].” (/d. at 4, 52.) Plaintiff says that he became aware of the date when a doctor mistakenly said it in front of him. (DJ. 112 at 2.) On May 19, 2017, Plaintiff submitted a sick call slip, asking “to know what happened to his surgery for his ACL.” (D.L. 105 at 51.) On June 27, 2017, a note in Plaintiff's medical record reflects that the “request for surgery is still pending for approval.” (/d. at 50.) Plaintiff continued submitting sick calls slips reporting his knee pain and requesting information on his appointment for surgery. (/d. at 48-49.) On August 15, 2017, Plaintiff was told that consult coordinators were aware and handling the scheduling. (/d. at 48.) On September 18, 2017, after Plaintiff submitted another sick call slip reporting that his knee was in constant pain, requesting information on the scheduling of the surgery, and noting that he “thought everything was approved for [him] to have surgery,” a nurse practitioner documented in a medical note that Plaintiff was “[w]earing knee brace but actually needs the surgery,” and that she would “speak with ... CMO [Dr. Moen] regarding case.” (/d. at 45-46.) On September 27, 2017, there is a note in Plaintiff's medical record stating “[s]cheduled for ortho appointment mid October per request of provider.” (/d. at 45.) On October 17, Plaintiff was transferred from JTVCC to Sussex Correctional Institution (“SCI”). The mid-October 2017 orthopedist appointment did not occur. On October 31, 2017, Plaintiff filed a medical grievance (“Grievance 383100”), stating: I was scheduled for knee surgery in May 2017 but it was postponed for whatever reason. I was told during a medical grievance hearing that | was supposed to go see the outside doctor in Oct but instead | was shipped from Smyrna to SCI. | have had a torn ACL, MCL & cartilage damage for a year now & the pain & difficulty of walking is getting worse. (Id. at 309.)

The Delaware Department of Correction three-step procedure for medical grievances is as follows. In Step One, the Institutional Grievance Chair (ICG) contacts healthcare staff, who attempt to resolve the grievance. In Step Two, if the inmate is not satisfied, the Medical Grievance Committee (“MGC”) holds a hearing with the inmate and at least three members of the health service staff present. In Step Three, if the inmate is not satisfied with the MGC’s decision, the Bureau Grievance Officer (“BGO”) reviews the grievance and submits a recommendation to the Bureau Chief of the BHSAMHS for review and a final decision. (/d. at 359-63.) A November 15, 2017 note in Plaintiff's medical records states that Plaintiff reported that his “knee gives out every few days,” that he had been scheduled for ACL surgery approximately a year earlier, the surgery was “never performed because further charges were added to his sentence and he was transferred here for pretrial,” and that a “consult for follow-up with orthopedics was requested.” (/d. at 43.) The record contains an orthopedic consult request from the same day, which was completed by a nurse practitioner. (/d. at 17.) On November 16, 2017, Grievance 383100 was denied by the ICG, who stated: Patient wants to be taken to have his ACL repaired. Per the consult coordinator, the Patients’ [sic] original consult was denied; therefore, his surgery will not be scheduled. It is being reported that surgery is not required and that the providers are developing a treatment plan for on site. at 301.) On December 4, 2017, the MGC denied Plaintiff's appeal of Grievance 383100. (Id.

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Bluebook (online)
Ayers v. Commissioner Perry Phelps, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ayers-v-commissioner-perry-phelps-ded-2024.