Tech May Have Exposed Thousands to Hep C

(AP)  Federal agents in Colorado have arrested a former surgery technician accused of exposing up to 6,000 people to hepatitis C.

Authorities say Kristen Diane Parker injected herself with painkillers meant for hospital patients, then filled the used syringes with saline solution. Police say thousands of patients at two hospitals may have been exposed to hepatitis C.

Parker appeared in court Monday to be advised of the charges, which include product tampering and other violations.

Officials say Parker worked at Rose Medical Center in Denver until she was fired after testing positive for the painkiller Fentyl. She then went to work for the Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center in Colorado Springs.

An affidavit by Mary F. LaFrance, an investigator for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, says at least nine surgery patients at Rose have tested positive for hepatitis C, which is incurable. About 6,000 patients are being advised they may have been exposed and need to be tested.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne disease that can cause serious liver problems, including cirrhosis or liver cancer. The illness is treatable, but there is no cure. Symptoms can include nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, pain and jaundice.

Rose Medical Center officials told a news conference Thursday night they were working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to determine whether Parker was the source of the virus.

It could not be determined Thursday night whether Parker had an attorney.

Parker worked at Rose from Oct. 21, 2008, until April. Hospital officials say she was suspended April 13, before they learned of the cases, and then fired. She had failed a drug test by testing positive for Fentanyl.

Parker went to work for the Audubon surgery center shortly after being fired. She worked there from May 4 until Monday, Dr. J. Michael Hall, Audubon's medical director, told The Gazette in Colorado Springs.

If convicted of tampering with a consumer product and other charges, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine on the most serious charge of tampering.

[everet3]

I have Hepatitis C and was told by Dr's that do nothing more than study the virus and run study programs that I contracted it during my stint in the U S Army. But will the army take the word of a Dr NO, these Dr's that study the virus can just about tell you the month,day,and time you contracted it from the damage it has done and so forth, But the guys sitting in a board room or something, who are not Dr's say this is not possible. They say the air guns that were used to give injections during the early 70's were wiped clean with alcohol before each recruit was giving injections. Yea right, just ask anyone that enlisted in the early 70's and were given injections with air guns if they were wiped clean before they got to them. Each and everyone of them will say the same thing NO. I placed an ad on the hepatitis net work and the military network for people to email me if the guns were clean before they were given there injections. Every email I recieved said the same thing, That they were not. Yet the military will not own up to it.

[rocketjl]

Her daddy must be the DA, since she got off so lightly. The current charge is OK for stealing syringes, but she left her infected syringes behind to be used on unsuspecting people. Newsflash. Do not think those who have been infected for life by an incurable disease are very happy. Am I to understand that the hospital is then going to be charged with attempted murder? What about the people who have been infected, what will happen to them. Tell you what, since nobody sees the full scope of the crime committed by the technician, lets just add to her sentence that both of her arms shall be amputated. Justice.

[jpmima]

This is a perfect expample why anyone in the medical profession should be on a National database. They should have to pass a DOJ background check just like truckdrivers. While your at it all teachers should have to do the same. It's time to stop them from being able to go from one job to another.

The medical center she worked for knew she had Hepititis C and hired her as a surgery tech anyway. The hospital/medical center, CEO and Manager of HR should all be held accountable.

As much as the public has to pay for healthcare it's about time we recieved healthcare.

[rhs648]

Employment laws, discrimination laws, and the Americans with Disabilities Act make it hard, if not impossible, to refuse to hire people with diseases. Can an employer refuse to hire a person with aids? Can an employer fire someone with aids? Here is your government regulation. As an employer, I can not ask the age of a potential employee, whether the employee is married or pregnant, and a host of other questions. Her is your government regulation. Before my father died, he decided to sell his home and look for an apartment. We found
one he liked. We asked the rental agent if there were other elderly tenants for him to hang around with. She replied that it is against federal law for her to answer that question. Here is your government regulation.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

FYI teachers have to go through multiple background checks, from state police records to FBI fingerprints. It only picks up past crimes, not future ones though.

As far as discriminating against someone with a disease working at a hospital, as a teacher I have to submit the results of a Tuberculosis test, current within the last three months, to gain employment in my state. Not having TB, I never thought much about what would happen if I did... would I be denied employment? It seems to me that I should, since I wouldn't want my own children exposed to TB at school by their teacher or other students, even though the risk of infection is slim. Likewise, the risk of Hepatitis C transmission is ridiculously slim at a hospital, unless of course you have a psycho employee... which may or may not have shown up on a background check.

[rhs648]

Lets be real. President Obama has nothing to do with this incident just as President Bush had nothing to with it. Sadly, we find unscrupulous and dishonest people in all walks of life. This does not mean the sytem is rotten. It simply means that some people in the system are rotten. The trick is ferreting out these people before they do harm.

[woeisme1]

Oh thats easy to say there pal, but HOW? Offer a solution instead of just a silly assumption. I mean I agree with you but HOW do you ferret out unscrupulous people?

[rhs648]

Employers fire dishonest employees all of the time. Short of background checks and previous employment checks, there really aren't any surefire ways to know if an employee will be dishonest or corrupt. That is where supervisors hold some responsibility. If they discover a person such as this technician doing dishonest or unethical things, they can contact the police in addition to terminating the person. This answer doesn't provide any magic bullets and probanly wont satisfy you, pal.

[IrishWench01]

My son had knee surgury at that medical center in 2007. Luckily for this woman it was before she worked there. Had she caused my son to get ill, could bend over and kiss it goodbye. She'd never make it to trial or anywhere else.

[darthcheney345]

Obama is an utter failure.

But everybody is flocking to the tabloid stories about Michael Jackson and Sarah Palin.

So they don't have to talk about it.

Obama wants to reform health care.

What is he going to do about this problem?

[IrishWench01]

You are ridiculous.

[woeisme1]

As usual. You're right. He has ALWAYS been ridiculous.

[darthcheney345]

They should force mandatory drug testing of all employees.

Problem is, then they'd have to fire everybody.

Our whole oountry is on drugs.

[woeisme1]

I think you might be using drugs. Our "WHOLE" country is on drugs?????

[thomderr1]

This is not the 'old days', when syringes were sanitized then re-used.

Most health care professionals unwrap the syringes in front of you.

[fred-mertz]

"Most health care professionals unwrap the syringes in front of you."

NOT when you're having surgery! You might see the first one, after that, it's "light's out" and you won't know how many times you are injected or what with!

[hetup-2009]

They only caught one? Come on, this isn't even the worst of it. Our healthcare system is better than the European's or Canada? Right...Americans are stupid.

[woeisme1]

Ahem....that would be the Republican Americans that are stupid. Please don't associate us democrats and independents with the obvious stupid republicant un-americans.

[8razman]

Health Care or a Crap Shoot? Same difference these days. Morals and values appear not to exist. REH