The technician, who was infected with hepatitis C from using heroin, spread hepatitis C to more than a dozen Rose Medical patients.
While employed as a surgical technician at SMC, Rocky Allen was caught taking a syringe filled with fentanyl—a powerful narcotic used to treat severe pain—from an operating room and replacing it with another syringe. Allen was subsequently fired and a Colorado federal grand jury indicted him on drug-related charges.
This incident fits a pattern consistent with Allen’s history of drug addiction and his firing from several hospitals for drug-related reasons. For example, according to the lawsuit, when employed at a hospital in La Jolla, California, Allen was terminated when he got caught switching a fentanyl syringe (which he admitted he planned to inject) with a saline-filled syringe.
Several years ago a former surgical technician employed by Rose Medical (a SMC partner hospital) was sentenced to 30 years in prison for swapping drug-filled syringes intended for patient use with previously injected, non-sterile syringes. In her plea agreement the technician admitted to stealing drug-filled syringes then refilling the syringes with sterile saline solution and placing them back in the operating rooms. The technician, who was infected with hepatitis C from using heroin, spread hepatitis C to more than a dozen Rose Medical patients.
SMC acknowledged that patients may have been infected through similar circumstances because of Rocky Allen. It sent letters to nearly 3,000 patients warning them that they may have been exposed to a blood-borne pathogen while being treated at SMC and advising them to immediately have their blood tested for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Prior court testimony revealed that Allen is carrying an undisclosed blood-borne pathogen.
SMC released a patient notification that reads, in part:
Swedish Medical Center recently identified a potential drug diversion (the stealing of narcotic pain medication intended for patients) by a former employee, which prompted an immediate and thorough investigation involving several regulatory agencies. We also notified law enforcement.
We are working closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on an investigation of the actions of that former employee who may have put some of our surgery patients at risk for exposure to HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C, viruses that can potentially cause long-term health concerns.
Approximately 2,900 patients who had surgery at Swedish Medical Center between August 17, 2015 and January 22, 2016 are receiving calls and letters to notify them of the potential for exposure and to request that they take a free, confidential blood test to screen for these viruses. We are taking these extensive measures to ensure the safety of our patients, our staff, and our community.