Nurse Infected 2 With Hepatatis C At Good Samaritan Hospital

PUYALLUP, WA - Good Samaritan Hospital has notified about 2,600 past ER patients that they should get tested for Hepatitis C. A former Good Sam nurse has tested positive for the virus, and infected at least two other patients, according to the hospital.

The patients being notified visited the ER between August 2017 and March 2018. The two patients who were infected by the nurse were treated in the ER in December. According to the hospital, the nurse was caught taking "higher-than-normal" amounts of narcotics from Good Samaritan.

Patients who do not receive a letter from the hospital are not at risk, according to Multicare. The hospital served about 54,000 patients over the August 2017 to March 2018 period.

“We deeply value the trust of our community, and apologize for the worry this will create. We have taken extensive measures to identify anyone who may have been at risk for exposure, out of interest for the health and safety of our patients and the community,” Good Samaritan CEO Chris Bredeson said in a press release. “We remain committed to the highest standards of patient care and are working to make sure the affected patients are supported and have the information they need.”

Hepatitis C is curable. Left untreated, the virus can cause swelling of the liver, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. About 70 percent of people with Hepatitis C show no symptoms, however.

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