Cynthia D. Biggs El v. Josh Shapiro, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 28, 2026
Docket2:25-cv-04659
StatusUnknown

This text of Cynthia D. Biggs El v. Josh Shapiro, et al. (Cynthia D. Biggs El v. Josh Shapiro, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cynthia D. Biggs El v. Josh Shapiro, et al., (E.D. Pa. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

CYNTHIA D. BIGGS EL, : Plaintiff, : : v. : CIVIL NO. 25-4659 : JOSH SHAPIRO, et al., : Defendants. : :

MEMORANDUM

KENNEY, J. JANUARY 28, 2026 On August 12, 2025, Plaintiff Cynthia D. Biggs El (“Plaintiff”) filed a pro se Complaint against twenty-seven Defendants. ECF No. 1. Plaintiff’s Complaint pleads nineteen causes of action stemming from her medical treatment at various hospitals and dialysis centers between approximately April 2021 to April 2023. Id. Of the twenty-seven named Defendants, certain Defendants have moved to dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint in its entirety pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), 12(b)(2), 12(b)(5), 12(b)(6), and 41(b). For the reasons described below, the Court will GRANT the Moving Defendants’1 motions to dismiss (ECF Nos. 16, 18,

1 The “Moving Defendants” are Livanta LLC; Helena Kurniawan; Red Willow Dialysis, LLC d/b/a Franklin Commons Dialysis, and Red Willow Dialysis, LLC d/b/a Willow Grove Dialysis (incorrectly identified as “DaVita Healthcare Company,” “DaVita Willow Grove Dialysis,” and “DaVita Franklin Commons Dialysis”); Javier J. Rodriguez; Holy Redeemer Health System d/b/a Holy Redeemer Hospital (incorrectly identified as “Holy Redeemer Hospital”); The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (incorrectly identified as “University of Pennsylvania Hospital (HUP),” “Perelman School of Medicine,” “Penn Medicine,” “University of Pennsylvania Health System,” and “Penn Medicine Doylestown Health (formerly Doylestown Hospital)”); Kevin B. Mahoney; Lisa Sator; Gemma Oetzel; Nicholas Jabco; Yonghong Huan; Samer Mohandes; Anika Vaidy; Aaron Diodato; and Melchiore Vernace. For the avoidance of doubt, “Moving Defendants” also includes incorrectly identified Defendants DaVita Healthcare Company; DaVita Willow Grove Dialysis; DaVita Franklin Commons Dialysis; University of Pennsylvania Hospital (HUP); Perelman School of Medicine; Penn Medicine; University of Pennsylvania Health System; Penn Medicine Doylestown Health (formerly Doylestown Hospital); and Holy Redeemer Hospital. 22, 28, 30, 33), DENY WITHOUT PREJUDICE as moot certain Moving Defendants’ separate motions to dismiss for failure to file a certificate of merit (ECF Nos. 40, 49, 50), DENY Plaintiff’s motions not to dismiss (ECF Nos. 25, 52), and dismiss the Complaint WITHOUT PREJUDICE as to the Moving Defendants. For the avoidance of doubt, the Court also dismisses the Complaint

WITHOUT PREJUDICE as to Defendants DaVita Healthcare Company; DaVita Willow Grove Dialysis; DaVita Franklin Commons Dialysis; University of Pennsylvania Hospital (HUP); Perelman School of Medicine; Penn Medicine; University of Pennsylvania Health System; Penn Medicine Doylestown Health (formerly Doylestown Hospital); and Holy Redeemer Hospital. I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

Plaintiff is a 71-year-old resident of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. ECF No. 1 ¶ 41; Id. at 37 (civil cover sheet). In April 2021, Plaintiff went to Bryn Mawr Hospital where Defendant Mark Edelstein treated her for hypertension. Id. ¶ 13. Dr. Edelstein informed her that she would need dialysis treatments in the next couple of years if she did not take steps to lower her blood pressure, and prescribed her a higher dose of hydralazine, a blood pressure medication. Id. ¶¶ 13– 14. Thereafter, Plaintiff switched to seeing a cardiologist at Doylestown Hospital. Id. ¶ 15. On or around February 22, 2023, Plaintiff felt ill and went to Doylestown Hospital’s emergency room, where Defendant Aaron Diodato was her attending physician. Id. ¶ 16. Dr. Diodato informed her that she needed to start dialysis and diagnosed her with an end stage renal disease. Id. ¶ 18. The next day, a catheter was placed in her upper right chest, and she received her first dialysis treatment at Doylestown Hospital. Id. A social worker at Doylestown Hospital arranged for Plaintiff to have a seat at Fresenius Kidney Center Abington (“FKC Abington”), an out-patient dialysis treatment center. Id. ¶ 19. Plaintiff was allegedly told that no other dialysis centers would accept her. Id. On March 6, 2023, Plaintiff started seeking dialysis treatments at FKC Abington, where she alleges that she was the subject of “patient abuse” by a doctor and his staff. Id. ¶ 20. After two weeks, Plaintiff requested to transfer to “Willow Grove Dialysis,” which she alleges is a DaVita facility. Id. On March 29, 2023, Plaintiff met with a clinical manager and social worker

at FKC Abington, who agreed to transfer Plaintiff’s medical records to DaVita. Id. On April 10, 2023, representatives at FKC Abington allegedly told Plaintiff that three of DaVita’s locations had declined to accept her as a patient. Id. ¶¶ 29–30. When Plaintiff called DaVita herself, she was told that she was denied from all DaVita centers, even though there were open seats. Id. ¶¶ 36– 39. She was not given a reason for the denial, but was told that she could re-submit another request after thirty days. Id. ¶ 39. Plaintiff thus continued her dialysis treatments at FKC Abington. Id. Plaintiff alleges that she reported her mistreatment at the hospitals and dialysis centers, but the alleged violations continued. Id. ¶¶ 79–80. B. Procedural History

On August 12, 2025, Plaintiff filed a Complaint against twenty-seven Defendants seeking monetary damages, in addition to costs and fees. Id. at 20 (prayer for relief).2 Plaintiff asserts nineteen causes of action: Deprivation of Rights 18 U.S.C. §§ 241: Conspiracy Against Rights (Count I); Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law 18 U.S.C. § 242: Conspiracy Against Rights (Count II); Violation of the Fifth Amendment (Count III); Fraud (Count IV); Violation of the First Amendment (Count V); Violation of the Eighth Amendment (Count VI); Forced Assimilation (Count VII); Violation of the Ninth Amendment (Count VIII); Malpractice (Count IX); Medical

2 Plaintiff also filed two other pro se complaints around the same time. See Biggs El v. Fresenius Med. Care N. Am., No. 25-cv-6041 (E.D. Pa. Oct. 21, 2025); Biggs El v. Meade, No. 25-cv-6227 (E.D. Pa. Oct. 29, 2025). In addition, this Court previously dismissed one of Plaintiff’s prior cases for lack of subject matter jurisdiction five days before she filed the underlying Complaint in this action. See Biggs El v. Hosp. of the Univ. of Pa., No. 25-cv-2464, 2025 WL 2263443 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 7, 2025). Malpractice (Count X); Assault and Battery (Count XI); Elder Patient Abuse (Count XII); Reckless Endangerment (Count XIII); HIPAA Violations (Count XIV); Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347 (Count XV); Bodily Mutilation (Count XVI); Defamation of Character (Count XVII); Violation of Patient Right to Self-Determination (Count XVIII); and Violation of Article 24, United Nations

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Count XIX). Id. ¶¶ 95–154. Plaintiff alleges that the Court has federal question jurisdiction and can exercise supplemental jurisdiction. Id. ¶ 74. Throughout October to December 2025, Moving Defendants filed multiple motions to dismiss pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1), 12(b)(2), 12(b)(5), 12(b)(6), and 41(b). See ECF Nos. 16, 18, 22, 28, 30, 33, 40, 49, 50.

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