What to do when a Process Server shows up to your clinic?

This internal website is strictly for UCSF employees, please do not share this information with non-UCSF individuals. Please refer them to our public website at: healthriskmanagement.ucsf.edu

You can refer Process Servers to our public website which has a section on the service of legal documents/requests: https://healthriskmanagement.ucsf.edu/service-legal-documents-requests

A UCSF department may have a process in place on how to handle the service of legal documents and requests for their people. For example, a clinic may have a designated person who handles all legal documents / requests for testimony, or they may direct all of these types of communications to UCSF Health Risk Management.

If you are going to accept service for your people, be sure that you know what documents you are accepting. Process Servers may not always be upfront with you regarding the documents they are trying to serve. Do not accept a document before looking at it. If you are not 100% certain whether you should accept it or not, decline service and then direct them to contact UCSF Health Risk Management. But please keep in mind that a Summons & Complaint must be served directly to the provider and not to Risk Management (see #3 below). Therefore, we will tell the Process Server to serve your provider.

2) Subpoena for patient medical and billing records (UCSF Health Risk Management does not accept these).

If your office receives a Subpoena for a patient's medical or billing records, please send it directly to the appropriate contact(s) below. UCSF Health Risk Management does not accept medical and billing record subpoenas. Please note that this contact information (how to guide) is internal to UCSF and not to be shared with non-UCSF individuals. This same information is available to non-UCSF individuals on our public website at https://healthriskmanagement.ucsf.edu/service-legal-documents-requests, you may direct them to it.

To forward a subpoena for UCSF Dental Records please follow the instructions in this how to guide.
To forward a subpoena for UCSF Radiology Imaging Records only please follow the instructions in this how to guide.
To forward a subpoena for UCSF HIMS (health med records, not including Dental or Radiology images) please follow the instructions in this how to guide.
To forward a subpoena for UCSF Patient Financial Services (patient billing records) please follow the instructions in this how to guide.

3) Summons & Complaint (S&C)

S&C means a lawsuit has been filed in the Court. UCSF Health Risk Management does not accept service of S&C's on behalf of anyone or any entity. If a S&C names an individual in your clinic then you may accept service with the permission of that individual. If UC Regents is named in the S&C, do not accept service on their behalf as the S&C must be served directly to the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) in Oakland, CA. If a provider or staff member in your office does receive a S&C, send it to us immediately at [email protected] for processing.

For subpoenas, legal documents and/or requests questions, please call us at (415) 353-1842 opt 3, or email us at [email protected]. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm PST.