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At-Risk Patient Holds Nothing Against Rose

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Jul 9, 2009 8:37 pm US/Mountain

At-Risk Patient Holds Nothing Against Rose

Reporting
Jodi Brooks
DENVER (AP) ― Lisa Turk went to get her blood test for hepatitis C on Wednesday after getting the letter from Rose Medical Center saying she was one of the thousands who could be at risk.

Despite the hepatitis C scare, Turk says she is forgiving and doesn't blame the hospital in the incident involving a surgery technician accused of swapping out her dirty syringes for ones filled with painkiller Fentanyl meant for patients.

"There are going to be bad apples in every barrel, but not a lot," Turk said Wednesday in reference to Kristen Diane Parker, who appeared in federal court Thursday on charges and was denied release on bond.

Parker, 26, has tested positive for hepatitis C and worked at Rose Medical Center in Denver and at Colorado Springs Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center between October and June 29. As many as 6,000 people may have been exposed to the blood-borne liver disease.

Turk should know the results of her blood test in a few weeks, but said she's optimistic, and she says her outpatient surgery experience at Rose Medical Center was great. So much so that she'd "definitely go back."

Rose says it has specific safety measures in place in relation to incidents like this.

The hospital's medication security starts with limited access to the operating room. All medication is locked in cabinets that require a special ID and password to open. Once the medication is drawn it is also locked in a cabinet with limited access. And all waste is monitored and documented by two witnesses.

"This was an isolated occurrence," Rose chief nursing officer Lynne Wagner said. "We believe limited to one individual who is not at Rose and has not been here since April."

Initially when Turk got the letter, Turk said it was a major shock.

"(My first reaction was) 'You've got to be kidding me,' and my husband just said to me 'Don't worry about anything until there's something to worry about,'" Turk said.

State health officials said Wednesday that 10 hepatitis C cases in former Rose patients may be linked to Parker.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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