By: Las Vegas Now Staff
Unsafe practices have been revealed at more health care centers. The legislature's health committee met Thursday to discuss the hepatitis and HIV alert at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. But during the process, they found out unsafe practices are going on at more than the six clinics already pinpointed.
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It's nothing but more unsettling news for valley residents. The Nevada Health Division says they recently inspected 13 surgical clinics, only to find staff re-using vials of medicine and syringes, even after being made aware of the risks.
Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie said, “I find it just unfathomable that we are having this problem. It sounds to me like the problem is more widespread than I ever imagined.”
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It's the last piece of news anyone, including lawmakers, wanted to hear. Unsafe medical practices stretch farther than just the six clinics that have already been closed.
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“We're finding problems at a variety of different levels related to medication re-use — in some cases, syringe reuse,” said Lisa Jones, Nevada Health Division.
The health division has recently inspected 13 surgical clinics and found unsafe medical practices at some — practices that were taking place even after news that 40,000 valley residents were possibly exposed to hepatitis and HIV.
The last time a full inspection was done on the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada was back in 2001. The Southern Nevada Health District says there's a possibility exposure to infectious disease could have spread back farther than the 2004 date they're currently investigating, but they don't know for sure.
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“I think the people who perpetrated this are absolutely monstrous. They cannot claim that they did not know the consequences of their actions, and I think it is absolutely heinous we have put the public in this position,” said Assemblywoman Susan Gerhardt.
For now, lawmakers are concerned with getting the Bureau of Licensure and Certification enough resources to keep up with inspections to make sure something like this never happens again.
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In addition, five certified registered nurse anesthetists who worked at the Shadow Lane clinic were asked to voluntarily surrender their licenses and certificates to practice in Nevada. All five complied. State lawmakers are now asking that the doctors also be given the chance to do the same.
Patients don't need to get tested at this point, because viruses have not been linked to any of these clinics. But state lawmakers say if the infraction puts people's lives at risk, they think the clinics should be closed immediately. The health division says each clinic has to be given due process.
As more information unfolds it concerns me that they have only a small window period targeted for the unsafe practice that have been found not only at Shadow Lane but also at Burnham locations. How do they know that another vial was not contaminated at an earlier date and that others who have become ill have not known to identify their problems with the centers re-using of vials of medicine and syringes? I see the last date of inspection was 2001 but which location and were they looking for this problem. I for one had a colonoscopy at Burnham and I have concerns due to the uncertainty of this whole incomprehensible problem. There is not one bit of confidence in any statement for any authorities figure.
Comment by Lawana Lamoreaux — March 7, 2008 @ 10:59 am
If the law will prosecute an AIDS carrier for infecting sexual partners…. then we just have to hold these educated fools, whom patients trust, to be more vigerously fined and punished and licenses REVOKED on a NATIONAL level!!!
Comment by e culli — March 7, 2008 @ 4:21 pm
Got my results today. Negative! I pray that everyone else is so lucky. I had my colonoscopy the end of March 2007 at the Shadow Lane location.
Comment by Mick — March 7, 2008 @ 5:40 pm
How can the Health dept. be so worried about “due process” for these clinics that they would let them go on and infect more people.
Comment by James — March 7, 2008 @ 7:40 pm