JON S. TIGAR, District Judge.
Before the Court is the United States of America's Motion to Substitute and to Dismiss. ECF No. 33. The Court will grant the motion.
Plaintiff Abraham G. Pinzon filed his initial complaint in this action on December 16, 2014. ECF No. 1. In the operative complaint, filed on January 6, 2015, against Defendants Mendocino Coast Clinics, Inc. and the State of California's Department of Health Care Services, Medi-Cal Dental Services Division, Pinzon alleges that Dr. Nash, a dentist at Mendocino Coast Clinics, performed unwanted dental services, ruining three of his teeth, so that he would be forced to return to the clinic for dentures. ECF No. 6 at 2-3. Pinzon alleges that the treatment he received was contrary to the standard of care received by other, predominantly white, patients, and that it amounted to assault, battery, and malpractice.
Pursuant to the Federally Supported Health Centers Assistance Act of 1992 ("FSHCAA"), Mendocino Coast Clinics has been deemed by the Department of Health and Human Services to be an "employee" of the Public Health Service ("PHS") for the purpose of malpractice coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act ("FTCA") since December 9, 2005. Declaration of Meredith Torres in Support of United States' Motion to Substitute and Dismiss ("Torres Decl."), ECF No. 34, ¶ 5, Ex. 1. Alex G. Tse, Chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, has certified pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 2679(d) that "Mendocino Coast Clinics, Inc., is deemed eligible for Federal Tort Claims Act ("FTCA") malpractice coverage and its employees are covered under the FTCA," and that "Mark A. Nash, D.D.S., was an employee of the health center and was acting within the scope of his employment at all times material to plaintiff's allegations." Certification Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2679(d) ("Certification"), ECF No. 36.
According to Meredith Torres, a Senior Attorney in the General Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department's Claims Branch maintains a record of administrative tort claims filed with the Department, including those filed with respect to federally supported health centers that have been deemed to be eligible for FTCA malpractice coverage. Torres Decl. ¶¶ 1-3. A search of the claims database yielded no record of an administrative tort claim filed by Plaintiff or an authorized representative relating to Mendocino Coast Clinics and Dr. Nash.
On May 22, 2015, the United States filed the instant motion to substitute itself in place of named defendant Mendocino Coast Clinics, Inc. pursuant to 42 U.S.C. section 233, and to dismiss all claims against it for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1). ECF No. 33 at 1. Pinzon opposes the motion. ECF No. 39. Defendant Department of Health Care Services has not yet appeared in this action.
"If the court determines at any time that it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the court must dismiss the action." Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(h)(3). A defendant may raise the defense of lack of subject matter jurisdiction by motion pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1). The plaintiff always bears the burden of establishing subject matter jurisdiction.
"Section 233(a) makes the FTCA remedy against the United States `exclusive of any other civil action or proceeding' for any personal injury caused by a PHS officer or employee performing a medical or related function `while acting within the scope of his office or employment.'"
Mendocino Coast Clinics has been deemed by the Department of Health and Human Services to be an employee of the Public Health Service during the relevant time period, and the Attorney General has certified that Dr. Nash was an employee of the health center and was acting within the scope of his employment at all times material to Plaintiff's allegations. Torres Decl. ¶ 5; Certification ¶ 2. Accordingly, the health center and Dr. Nash have "absolute immunity . . . for actions arising out of the performance of [dental] or related functions within the scope of their employment," because section 233 "bar[s] all actions against them for such conduct."
Pinzon argues that Nash's alleged actions exceeded the scope of his employment because they were "unrelated to legitimate medical needs" and because "[p]hysical attacks on patients and disregard for their patient and civil rights [] are not within the scope of employment for any profession." ECF No. 39 at 2-3. While a section 2679(d) certification that an individual was acting within the scope of his employment "does not conclusively establish as correct the substitution of the United States as defendant,"
Pinzon also suggests that while Mendocino Coast Clinics is eligible for FTCA malpractice coverage for personal injury, this coverage does not extend to Pinzon's statutory claims. ECF No. 39 at 2, 4. But the FTCA "remedy against the United States . . . for damage for personal injury . . . resulting from the performance of medical, surgical, dental, or related functions" by a covered employee acting within the scope of his employment is "exclusive of any other civil action or proceeding by reason of the same subject-matter" against the employee. 28 U.S.C. § 233(a). The Supreme Court has explained that this statutory language "grants absolute immunity" to covered employees "for actions arising out of the performance of medical or related functions within the scope of their employment by barring all actions against them for such conduct."
For these reasons, the United States is substituted in place of Defendant Mendocino Coast Clinics as a Defendant in this action and Plaintiff's claims against it shall be treated as claims under the FTCA.
28 U.S.C. § 2675(a). "The requirement of an administrative claim is jurisdictional" and "must be strictly adhered to."
For the foregoing reasons, the motion to substitute and to dismiss is granted without prejudice.