F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
APR 19 2005
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
PATRICK DAVID ARCHER,
Plaintiff - Appellant,
v. No. 04-3463
(03-CV-3333-GTV)
CHARLES SIMMONS, Secretary of (D. Kan.)
Corrections, Kansas Department of
Corrections; WILLIAM CUMMINGS,
Correctional Manager/Risk
Management, Kansas Department of
Corrections; ROGER HADEN, Deputy
Secretary of Programs/Research &
Support, Kansas Department of
Corrections; LAWRENCE PERRY,
Medical Contract Management
Consultants, Kansas Department of
Corrections; MARGARET SMITH,
Medical Contract Management
Consultants, Kansas Department of
Corrections; SHERRY
DETTMAN-ROUDYBUSH, Medical
Contract Management Consultants,
Kansas Department of Corrections;
RAY ROBERTS, Warden, Ellsworth
Correctional Facility; (FNU)
GOODARD, Deputy Warden of
Ellsworth Correctional Facility;
DAVID R. MCKUNE, Warden,
Lansing Correctional Facility; (FNU)
STUPAR, Deputy Warden, Lansing
Correctional Facility; SNADIP NAIK,
Doctor, Lansing Correctional Facility;
(FNU) HOANG, Doctor, Lansing
Correctional Facility; (FNU) PETTIT,
Doctor, Lansing Correctional Facility;
TERESSA SANDERSON, SHSA of
Prison Health Services, Lansing
Correctional Facility; ANGELA
GOEHRING, SHSA of Prison Health
Services, Lansing Correctional
Facility; VIOLA RIGGINS, SHSA of
Prison Health Services, Lansing
Correctional Facility; JAMES
BAKER, Regional Director of Prison
Health Services; MIKE DEVENY,
RN, Lansing Correctional Facility;
RON (LNU), Physician Assistant,
Lansing Correctional Facility;
BEVERLY JACKSON, RN, Lansing
Correctional Facility; LISA (LNU),
RN, Lansing Correctional Facility;
KEVIN (LNU), RN, Lansing
Correctional Facility; SHEILA (LNU),
RN, Lansing Correctional Facility;
MARLENE (LNU), RN, Lansing
Correctional Facility; SUSAN (LNU),
RN, Lansing Correctional Facility;
CHUCK (LNU), RN, Lansing
Correctional Facility; DAVE (LNU),
RN, Lansing Correctional Facility;
GEORGE EBY, RN, Lansing
Correctional Facility; MIKE
MOWERY, Physical Therapist, Prison
Health Services; GEORGE
ROBINSON, Orthopaedic Surgeon,
Prison Health Services; (FNU)
BOSTON, Doctor, Orthopaedic
Surgeon, Prison Health Services;
PRISON HEALTH SERVICES; (FNU)
(LNU), Medical Administration,
Hutchinson Correctional Facility;
LOUIS E. BRUCE, Warden,
Hutchinson Correctional Facility;
STANLEY JONES, MD; JOSIE
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NORRIS, MD; TERRY JONES, MD;
CCS CORPORATION,
Defendants - Appellees.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before SEYMOUR , HARTZ , and McCONNELL , Circuit Judges.
Patrick David Archer is a state prisoner currently incarcerated at Winfield
Correctional Facility (WCF) in Kansas. Mr. Archer filed a complaint under 42
U.S.C. § 1983 seeking damages for the alleged violation of his constitutional
rights regarding his medical treatment while he was incarcerated in Lansing
Correctional Facility (LCF). The district court dismissed the State of Kansas, the
Kansas Department of Corrections, and all claims against state officials in their
official capacities, finding plaintiff’s claim for damages barred by the Eleventh
*
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist in the determination
of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). This case is
therefore submitted without oral argument. This order and judgment is not
binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and
collateral estoppel. The court generally disfavors the citation of orders and
judgments; nevertheless, an order and judgment may be cited under the terms and
conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
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Amendment. Additionally, the district court dismissed all claims involving his
medical care after being transferred from LCF because Mr. Archer did not exhaust
his administrative remedies with respect to those claims. Finally, the district
court dismissed his remaining claims against LCF for failure to state a claim upon
which relief can be granted. See Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 12(b)(6). Mr. Archer appeals
only the final dismissal. For the following reasons, we AFFIRM the district
court.
I. FACTS
Mr. Archer injured his knee when he fell on the stairs of LCF the evening
of January 15, 2002. He alleges that prison personnel recklessly transported him
on a wooden gurney in a cargo van to the medical clinic. Mr. Archer states that
the nurse on duty unreasonably refused to x-ray his knee or send him to the
hospital. After x-rays were taken the next day, Mr. Archer states that the doctor
on duty failed to properly diagnose or treat his injury, and that the doctor’s failure
to prescribe a blood thinner led to a dangerous blood clot that was later
discovered and treated. Mr. Archer also complains that Prison Health Services
staff failed to give him the prescribed medicine, substituting other medications.
This, he says, led to delayed reparation of his knee. Mr. Archer argues that these
actions by prison officials were cruel and unusual and thus violate the Eighth
Amendment.
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II. STANDARD OF REVIEW
We review the district court’s decision to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6)
de novo, applying the same standards as the district court. Montgomery v. City of
Ardmore , 365 F.3d 926, 935 (10th Cir. 2004). We take all well-pleaded factual
allegations in the complaint as true and view them in the light most favorable to
the non-movant. Id. Dismissal is appropriate only where it is apparent that the
plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim. Id. On account of his
pro se status, we read Mr. Archer’s complaint liberally. See Cummings v. Evans,
161 F.3d 610, 613 (10th Cir. 1998).
III. ANALYSIS
“[D]eliberate indifference to serious medical needs of prisoners constitutes
the ‘unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain’ proscribed by the Eighth
Amendment.” Estelle v. Gamble , 429 U.S. 97, 104 (1976) (quoting Gregg v.
Georgia , 428 U.S. 153, 173 (1976)). However, “[a] negligent failure to provide
adequate medical care, even one constituting medical malpractice, does not give
rise to a constitutional violation.” Perkins v. Kan. Dep’t of Corr. , 165 F.3d 803,
811 (10th Cir. 1999). Mr. Archer received medical attention for his knee injury
and his wound healed. The blood clot was treated as soon as it was discovered.
Mr. Archer’s allegations of unreasonable medical treatment amount to a claim of
negligence at most, not deliberate indifference. His dissatisfaction with the
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treatment provided does not state a cognizable constitutional claim under the
Eighth Amendment. Therefore, he has failed to state a claim upon which relief
can be granted.
Accordingly, the judgment of the United States District Court for the
District of Kansas is AFFIRMED . We remind Mr. Archer that he must continue
making partial payments until the entire appellate filing fee has been paid.
Entered for the Court
Michael W. McConnell
Circuit Judge
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