Bektic-Marrero v. Goldberg

850 F. Supp. 2d 418, 2012 WL 733875, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30764
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMarch 7, 2012
DocketNo. 11 Civ. T78(CM)
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 850 F. Supp. 2d 418 (Bektic-Marrero v. Goldberg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bektic-Marrero v. Goldberg, 850 F. Supp. 2d 418, 2012 WL 733875, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30764 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS’ MOTIONS TO DISMISS, AND DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LIMITED DISCOVERY

McMAHON, District Judge.

Before the Court is a series of four motions — one from plaintiff, and one each from three groups of moving defendants— each addressed to a unique constellation of state and federal claims. In the end, resolving these motions does little to advance the litigation in a meaningful way.

The motions are denied, except that the Monell claim against Defendant New York Medical College is granted.

BACKGROUND

A. The parties

Plaintiff Nina Bektic-Marrero (“Plaintiff’) brings this suit on behalf of her deceased husband, Jose Marrero (“Marrero”), acting in her role as administrator of his estate. (See Felix Deck, Ex. A, ¶¶ 1, 6.) She also brings claims on her own and her son’s behalf, as well as claims derivative of Marrero’s. The suit arises out of Marrero’s medical treatment while he was in the custody of the Westchester County Department of Correction (the “Westchester DOC”).1

According to the Complaint, Defendant Westchester County (the “County”) is responsible for the administration of the Westchester DOC. (Id. ¶ 9.) The County entered into written contracts with Defendants Westchester County Health Care Corporation (the “WCHCC”), Westchester [422]*422Medical Center (the “WMC”), and New York Medical College (“NYMC”), to provide medical care and treatment to Westchester DOC inmates. (Id. ¶ 24.) The WCHCC is a public benefit corporation organized under New York law (id. ¶ 10), and the WMC is a medical services corporation organized under New York law. (Id. ¶ 11.) NYMC is a private medical school organized under New York law as a not-for-profit corporation. (Id. ¶ 12.) The Westchester DOC, the WMC, and NYMC all share the same campus in Valhalla, New York.

Defendants Gail Bailey-Wallace, M.D., Randy Goldberg, M.D., and June Yozzo, R.N., are among the individuals who administered the challenged medical care to Marrero during the term of his incarceration. Dr. Bailey-Wallace is alleged to be the “acting Medical Director for Chronic Care Services at Correctional Health Services, a division of [NYMC], at the [Westchester] DOC.” (Id. ¶ 16.) Dr. Goldberg is the “acting Assistant Medical Director for Chronic Care Services at Correctional Health Services, a division of [NYMC], at the [Westchester] DOC.” (Id. ¶ 17.) Yozzo, a licensed nurse, is alleged to be the “Health Care Coordinator” for the Westchester DOC. (Id. ¶ 18.)

Finally, Defendant Andrew Spano was, at the times relevant to the Complaint, Westchester County Executive (id. ¶ 13); Joseph Spano was the Commissioner of the Westchester DOC (id. ¶ 14); and Anthony Amicucci was the ‘Warden” of the Westchester DOC. (Id. ¶ 15.)

B. Marrero’s medical treatment at the Westchester DOC

On June 10, 2009, Marrero was committed to the custody of the Westchester DOC on a parole violation. During the intake process, he informed the Westchester DOC that he was a long-time and current smoker, and that both his mother and sister suffered laryngeal cancer. (Id. ¶¶ 34-35.) In October 2009, Marrero informed Dr. Goldberg personally that his mother and sister suffered from esophageal cancer. (Id. ¶ 39.)

In September and October 2009, Marrero submitted several “sick call slips,” complaining that he felt a foreign object in his throat, which interfered with his ability to speak or swallow. However, on each visit to the infirmary, the medical staff only lightly touched the outside of his throat and assured him that the sensation would go away on its own. No oral examination was performed, and no antibiotics or diagnostic tests were prescribed. (Id. ¶¶ 36-38.)

In October 2009, Marrero’s condition has worsened to the point where he could no longer swallow solid food, had great difficulty swallowing water, and could barely speak. Even so, no oral exam or diagnostic test was prescribed. Rather, unidentified medical staff simply pureed his food, and crushed his diabetes and hypertension pills and mixed them with water. (Id. ¶¶ 40-42.)

Between October and November 2009, prison staff neglected to puree Marrero’s food for him. As a result, he could not eat at all, and he lost thirty pounds over six weeks. The signs of Marrero’s illness were so obvious that several correction officers and civilian employees ordered the ailing Marrero to report to the infirmary. Marrero was switched to a liquid diet in November 2009, but even still, no oral exam was conducted, and no diagnostic test or antibiotic medication was prescribed. (Id. ¶¶ 43-45.)

Finally, after numerous telephone calls to Dr. Bailey-Wallace, Dr. Goldberg, and Yozzo, Marrero was given a barium swallow test — the first diagnostic test ordered [423]*423after nearly three months of apparent distress and severe weight loss. After Dr. Goldberg reviewed the result, he told Marrero that “it may be cancer,” and ordered blood tests. Although the blood tests quickly revealed that Marrero had cancer, Dr. Goldberg did not inform Marrero of this finding, Marrero was not referred to an oncologist at this time. (Id. ¶¶ 46-51.)

Approximately four weeks later, in early December 2009, Marrero was scheduled for a computed tomography (“CT”) scan. The scan revealed a cancerous mass in Marrero’s throat. Marrero was not immediately informed of these results or referred to an oncologist. (Id. ¶¶ 53-54.)

On December 12, 2009, Marrero came to the Westchester DOC infirmary, complaining that he could no longer swallow even water. At this point, Plaintiff alleges, the results of the blood test and CT scan— both of which indicated a cancerous growth in Marrero’s throat — were known. Nevertheless, Westchester DOC “medical personnel” told Marrero that his throat condition would “go away” on its own. A few hours later, Marrero collapsed as a result of dehydration and malnutrition. (Id. ¶¶ 55-56.)

Marrero was then admitted to the “I Block,” described in the Complaint as a medical wing of the Westchester DOC. Only then was he informed that he had cancer. Dr. Goldberg told Marrero that the blood tests, the results of which had been known for weeks, revealed the cancer; he also told Marrero that he had about six months to live. (Id. ¶¶ 56-58.)

When she heard the news, Plaintiff (Marrero’s wife) asked Yozzo, and other Westchester DOC personnel, for copies of Marrero’s medical records. She hoped to use these to have Marrero’s parole restored and to seek a second medical opinion. However, Yozzo denied or delayed responding to these requests. Plaintiff also asked Yozzo to provide Marrero with Ensure (a liquid dietary supplement), and offered to supply it to Westchester DOC herself, if necessary. Yozzo expressly denied this request as well. (Id. ¶¶ 59-61.)

In mid-December 2009, a biopsy confirmed that the growth in Marrero’s throat was a Stage IV carcinoma; the same day, (unidentified) doctors discovered a second mass on Marrero’s liver. Plaintiff was only informed of her husband’s biopsy results weeks later, by Dr. Bailey-Wallace. (Id. ¶¶ 62-65.)

Marrero received some of his intensive medical care, including his biopsy, at the WMC.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
850 F. Supp. 2d 418, 2012 WL 733875, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30764, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bektic-marrero-v-goldberg-nysd-2012.