United States v. Illinois

148 F.R.D. 587, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6519
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedApril 9, 1993
DocketNo. 92 C 0694
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 148 F.R.D. 587 (United States v. Illinois) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Illinois, 148 F.R.D. 587, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6519 (N.D. Ill. 1993).

Opinion

ORDER

PLUNKETT, District Judge.

The Defendants object to the Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge Guzman of January 29, 1993, that recommends that the motion of the United States to compel production of various records and reports be granted. Those records are largely internal reports prepared by medical quality assurance committees at the Defendants’ mental health facility (“Howe”). We agree with Magistrate Judge Guzman and adopt his recommendation.

The Defendants recognize, as they must, that their discovery dispute is governed by Memorial Hosp. for McHenry County v. Shadur, 664 F.2d 1058 (7th Cir.1981), which determined that the weight and effect of a state law privilege is limited in a case in the federal court governed by substantive federal law. As explained by the Seventh Circuit in Shadur, the district court should:

‘weigh the need for truth against the importance of the relationship or policy sought to be furthered by the privilege, and the likelihood that recognition of the privilege will in fact protect that relationship in the factual setting of the case.’

Shadur, 664 F.2d at 1061-62 (quoting Ryan v. C.I.R., 568 F.2d 531, 543 (7th Cir.1981)). The defendants argue here, as they did before the Magistrate Judge, that Sections 8-2101 and 2102 of the Illinois Medical Studies Act (Ill.Rev.Stat. ch. 110, paras. 8-2101 and 8-2102) prohibits the discovery of their internal review of medical care at Howe. The Act, quoted at length in the Magistrate Judge’s opinion, protects against disclosure of any information used in the course of internal quality control or medical study for the purpose of improving medical care. We believe that under Shadur, the internal committee reports, minutes, and all other related information must be disclosed. While we agree with the reasoning of Magistrate Judge Guzman, we add these thoughts.

Under the criteria announced in Shadur, we first look to the need for truth. Here, when a case brought by the United States under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (“CRIPA”), 42 U.S.C. § 1997, et seq., the need for truth is compelling. This Act is designed to protect the health and safety of persons in state institutions. Contrary to the defendants’ assertion, the information sought by the United States is important, if not critical, to its case. It is true, as defendants argue, that other institution records will show what injury or event occurred at the health facility and what remedial steps, if any, were taken. But the very existence of quality assurance review committees, their evaluations, and their recommended action or inaction is important in deciding the ultimate issue in the case— whether the defendant was providing adequate medical care to residents. Adequate medical care is not only measured by remedial steps after injury but also by evaluation and affirmative steps taken by quality assurance committees. Indeed, the Complaint itself charges that the Defendants have failed to maintain accurate review systems to ensure professional treatment. (Compl. ¶ 7.) The records of the quality assurance committees are the only way to evaluate these claims.

The opinion of the Magistrate Judge makes clear that he relied on the affidavits of two consulting experts who testified to exactly these facts. (Mem. Op. at 591-92.) The Defendants complain that the opinion ignored the affidavits of their experts who assert that all relevant information can be gleaned from other discoverable sources. But those experts only addressed whether other discovery would disclose injuries and resultant treatment. Those assertions miss the point—the quality control committee discussions and decisions are important not to prove what remedial steps were taken, but to [589]*589determine whether the committees themselves were doing their job. If they were not, the case of the United States is strengthened.

The Shadur decision also requires an evaluation of the policy to be furthered by the state privilege and whether that policy will be thwarted by discovery of the committees’ review. We believe that discovery here is consistent with the goals of the Illinois statute. Both the Illinois Medical Studies Act and CRIPA have the same goal—to improve medical care for patients. Discovery of the work of the various quality assurance committees’ records will not be used in malpractice actions. The review of this material will aid in a determination of the quality of medical care at Howe. In denying the asserted privilege in Shadur, the court concluded in words equally applicable to this dispute:

To recognize hospital disciplinary proceedings as privileged, regardless of the purpose for which disclosure is sought, would in effect grant such committees, their members and participants absolute immunity from prosecution for all statements made and actions taken in the context of such proceedings. Illinois itself has refused to extend its privilege this far.... We also decline to do so.

Shadur, 664 F.2d at 1063 [citation omitted]. The Shadur court held that the public interest in private enforcement of federal antitrust laws was simply too strong to permit the exclusion of relevant and possibly crucial evidence by application of the hospital’s privilege. Id. In our ease, the public interest in the United States government’s enforcement of federal health laws is equally, if not more, compelling.

The recommendation of Magistrate Judge Guzman is approved and adopted. Defendants shall produce all records within twenty (20) days of the date of this order.

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

GUZMAN, United States Magistrate Judge.

' The United States has filed a motion to compel production of documents in this ease. It seems that the defendants have objected to the production of all documents responsive to the plaintiffs document requests 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 43 of the United States’ First Request for the Production of Documents, and document requests 3 and 4 of the United States Third Request for the Production of Documents. Defendants contend the documents were privileged under Sections 8-2101 and 8-2102 of the Illinois Medical Studies Act (Ill.Rev.Stat.1989, ch. 110, ¶ 8-2101 and ¶ 8-2102) (“A quality assurance privilege”). Section 8-2101 of the Act states in part as follows:

“All information, interviews, reports, statements, memoranda or other data of ... the Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities ... used in the course of internal quality control or medical study for the purpose of reducing morbidity or mortality, or for improving patient care, shall be privileged, strictly confidential, and shall be used only for medical research, the evaluation and improvement of quality care, or granting, limiting, or revoking staff privileges____”

Section 2102 of this Act provides that the information described above is not discoverable in any action. It is this privilege that the defendants assert when they refuse to produce the documents related above. The documents being requested by plaintiff are as follows:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
148 F.R.D. 587, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6519, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-illinois-ilnd-1993.