Payne et al v. Adventist Health System-Sunbelt, Inc. et al

Filing 49

ORDER granting 38 Motion to Consolidate Cases All further pleadings to be electronically filed to: 3:12cv856 only. Member Case: 3:13cv217 to be administratively closed; granting 42 Motion for Extension of Time ( Mediation deadline set for 1/31/2016.); granting 43 Motion for limited special appearance. Signed by Chief Judge Frank D. Whitney on 12/22/15. (ssh)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
CHARLOTTE DIVISION
DOCKET NOS. 3:12-cv-00856-FDW-DSC and 3:13-cv-217-FDW-DCK
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ex rel. )
MICHAEL PAYNE, MELISSA CHURCH, )
and GLORIA PRYOR, et al,
)
)
Plaintiff,
)
)
vs.
)
)
ADVENTIST
HEALTH
SYSTEM- )
SUNBELT, INC., et al,
)
)
Defendants.
)
___________________________________ )
)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and the )
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, STATE )
OF ILLINOIS, STATE OF FLORIDA, and )
STATE OF TEXAS, ex rel. SHERRY )
DORSEY,
)
)
Plaintiffs,
)
)
vs.
)
)
ADVENTIST
HEALTH
SYSTEM- )
SUNBELT
HEALTHCARE )
CORPORATION, et al,
)
)
Defendants.
)
)

ORDER

THIS MATTER is before the Court on three motions in United States of America, ex rel.
Michael Payne, et al., v. Adventist Health System-Sunbelt, Inc., et al., Case No: 3:12-cv-00856:
(1) Motion to Consolidate (Doc. No. 38); (2) Unopposed Motion for Extension of Time (Doc. No.
42); and (3) Motion for Limited Special Appearance (Doc. No. 43). The Court conducted a status

conference in the two above-captioned cases and heard brief argument on these pending motions,
as well as other matters.
For the reasons stated in open court, the Court GRANTS the Motion to Consolidate (Doc.
No. 38), GRANTS the Motion for Extension of Time (Doc. No. 42), and GRANTS the Motion for
Limited Special Appearance (Doc. No. 43). As part of the oral ruling, the Court also clarified that
its prior orders (Docs. Nos. 33, 34 in 3:12-cv-856; Docs. Nos. 36, 37 in 3:13-cv-217) did not
preserve jurisdiction to adjudicate any rights or claims as among the relators. Furthermore, the
Court ORDERED the parties to engage in mediation no later than January 31, 2016. To the extent
mediation is unsuccessful, the parties shall submit no later than February 7, 2016, a proposed
briefing schedule to the Court outlining remaining issues for the Court to resolve and a proposed
timeline to do so.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Signed: December 22, 2015