Should Exeter Hospital Lose Medicare Money?

Faced with the elimination of Medicare funding in the wake of a disastrous hepatitis C outbreak, Exeter Hospital officials are confident new safeguards they are instituting will appease federal officials.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently issued a stern report that found the hospital failed to secure medication properly and didn't have the correct infection controls in place, among other deficiencies. The agency told the hospital that it needs to submit a plan for new safeguards or it could face the elimination of its Medicare agreement – a move that would affect hundreds of patients.

Prosecutors said the outbreak was caused by a hepatitis C-positive hospital employee who shot himself up with patients' medication to get high. Thirty-two patients contracted the potentially deadly disease.

Mark Whitney, a hospital vice president, said the hospital is putting together a plan to address the agency's concerns.

"We are confident we can work with (the agency) to reach a satisfactory resolution to their concerns," Whitney said during a news conference Friday.

He continued, "I want patients to know they're safe here."

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has terminated Medicare agreements before – including earlier this year when it came down on an Illinois nursing after an investigation revealed patients suffered sexual and physical abuse.