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Mayo Clinic Hepatitis Scare: The Jacksonville Mayo Clinic this week said that an Hepatitis C-infected employee spread the disease to patients after he injected himself with painkillers and refilled them with saline. Pictured above, syringes filled with influenza vaccine. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A Mayo Clinic employee in Jacksonville may have put patients at risk of Hepatitis C, prompting the clinic to send out a warning on Friday.
A radiology employee who had Hepatitis C apparently stole syringes filled with a potent painkiller and injected himself with it. He refilled the syringes with saline and continued this process for several years before he was caught.
The clinic has tested more than 2,400 patients and sent letters to another 2,100 patients this week, according to a statement issued this week.
The former employee, who was fired last month, said he admitted to stealing the painkillers for personal use, and the clinic said three patients had a strain of Hepatitis C identical to that of the employee.
The employee's name has not been released at the time of writing.
“Mayo Clinic will do whatever is necessary to support the needs of its patients,” Dr. William C. Rupp, the CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida, said. in a statement. “Patient safety is central to the trust the organization shares with its patients.”
“Mayo Clinic is working to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. The multiple systems in place to control narcotics are being strengthened further to create even tighter control.”
