Thousands of patients treated at two Portland, Oregon, hospitals are being told to undergo blood tests after an “infection-control breach” by anesthesiologists may have exposed them to HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
About 2,400 patients at two health systems, Providence and Legacy Health, may be affected and have been advised to get tested “out of an abundance of caution.”
Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center in Oregon City The hospital said in a statement that about 2,200 patients at the hospital and two patients at Providence Portland Medical Center have been notified.
“The physician’s actions may have put patients at small risk of contracting infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV,” a Providence spokesman said in a statement.
A spokesperson said the possible exposure was from an employee of Oregon Anesthesiology Group, a third-party contractor, who worked at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center from December 2023 to May of this year.
The anesthesiologist, whose identity was not disclosed, is no longer employed by Oregon Anesthesiology Group, the company said in a statement.
The company said the tests will be provided free of charge. “If a patient tests positive, Providence will contact them to discuss the test results and next steps,” the statement read.
Legacy Health said it is in contact with 211 patients who were treated at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center and may have been exposed. Legacy said this is an “isolated situation” linked to the Oregon Anesthesiology Group.
“Upon learning of this situation, we immediately suspended the provider and initiated a thorough investigation in accordance with regulations and our own policies and procedures,” Legacy said in a statement.
The Oregon Anesthesiology Group said in a statement that it had suspended the doctor after launching its own investigation.
“While the risk of infection was low, new procedures and protocols have been put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future,” the statement said.
NBC News has reached out to the Oregon Health Authority for comment.
