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Kansas hospital latest to join hepatitis probe



EXETER — A hospital in Kansas is the latest to begin notifying patients who may have been exposed to hepatitis C after discovering that the former medical technician accused of infecting patients at Exeter Hospital also worked there.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kan., are working jointly to notify approximately 460 former patients who underwent cardiac catheterization from May 24, 2010, to Sept. 22, 2010.

David Kwiatkowski, 32, was a medical technician in Exeter's cardiac-catheterization lab when he allegedly used syringes containing the powerful drug Fentanyl to shoot up and then left dirty ones behind that authorities say were later used on patients.

Kwiatkowski's hepatitis C virus was transmitted to at least 30 former Exeter patients, authorities said, but other victims could be found as an intense federal investigation now spans six states where he worked as a “traveling” technician at different hospitals.

Health officials in Georgia, Maryland and Michigan are also investigating Kwiatkowski after he worked at hospitals in those states in recent years.

In a statement, Kansas officials said Kwiatkowski worked as a contract radiology technician at Hays Medical Center.

“As medical professionals and members of the Hays community, we are deeply concerned by the alleged criminal conduct of this individual in New Hampshire,” Dr. John Jeter, Hays Medical Center CEO and president, said in a prepared statement.

Jeter added that the medical facility is “taking swift and comprehensive steps to determine any implications for those patients treated during this time period and are committed to providing complete and accurate information to our patients and the public as quickly as possible. … The alleged criminal actions of this individual in New Hampshire do not reflect the high standard of care provided every day by the doctors, nurses and staff at HaysMed.”




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