An Oregon anesthesiologist has been suspended after potentially exposing over 2,000 patients at Providence Portland Willamette Falls Medical Center and Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center to infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis, as reported by KGW8.
Legacy Health, which operates affected facilities, is notifying 221 patients believed to have been impacted by the breach. The incident involved a third-party anesthesiologist contracted through the Oregon Anesthesiology Group, who worked at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center for six months starting December 2023.
Legacy Health promptly suspended the provider upon discovery and initiated a thorough investigation in compliance with regulations and internal protocols.
Providence, another affected entity, is notifying 2,200 patients at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center and two at its Portland Medical Center about the breach. They have urged patients to undergo blood tests to screen for hepatitis B and C as well as HIV, reassuring that the risk of exposure was low.
The Oregon Anesthesiology Group acknowledged the breach, stating they terminated the physician involved upon learning of the infection control violations. They have since implemented new protocols to prevent similar incidents.
The Oregon Health Authority reported no illnesses linked to the breach but emphasized the importance of rigorous infection control measures in healthcare settings.
