Salem hospital faces lawsuit over hundreds of patients potentially infected with HIV, hepatitis

Plaintiff Melinda Cashman sits with her attorney, Jeffrey Catalano, as she shares her story at a press conference announcing that at least 450 patients Class-action lawsuit filed against Massachusetts General Hospital, Salem Hospital and 10 hospital employees after exposure to “infection.” (Photo by Amanda Sabuga/Boston Herald)

An Amesbury woman is leaving a Salem hospital because she and hundreds of other patients may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV during medical imaging procedures.

Keches Law Group filed a class action lawsuit against Massachusetts Brigham General Hospital, Salem Hospital and 10 hospital employees on behalf of plaintiff Melinda Cashman. Quality of life is reduced due to possible exposure to these infections. “

Hospital officials revealed Wednesday that approximately 450 patients undergoing endoscopy procedures between June 2021 and April 2023 were potentially exposed during intravenous drug administration “in a manner inconsistent with our best practices.”

Cashman was getting home from get off work on the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 3, when he received a letter from Mitchell Rein, chief medical officer and senior vice president for medical affairs at Salem Hospital.

The letter did not specify whether the infection was viral or bacterial, and told potentially affected patients to contact the hospital Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Cashman said it was 4:45 a.m. when she received the letter, which meant she had few avenues to seek answers over the weekend.

“I did a lot of Google searches and research to try to figure it out, but I had no idea what I was doing because everything was just the word ‘infection.’ “There could be a lot of different infections,” Cashman said Friday afternoon told reporters in Milton’s office at Catchers School of Law.

“I literally can’t stop trying to figure this out,” she continued. “Am I going to need a kidney or liver transplant? Am I going to get an infection that requires me to no longer be around and I’m the sole caregiver for my parents? There are a lot of things running through my mind.”

In a press release, Catches Law emphasized that the hospital informed Cashman that “she would need to undergo testing, screening and evaluation to determine whether she was infected, a process that could take months or even years.” Results , she will continue to suffer severe emotional distress and mental anguish.”

Attorneys representing Cashman and “others in similar situations” said the lawsuit is focused primarily on getting answers to a series of questions rather than seeking financial damages.

Cashman has been tested and said she had to fight to get tested on the spot, but doctors have not yet reviewed the results, leading to further confusion about how to proceed.

“The solution is to be transparent and give patients a clear understanding of what happened, how it happened and what they can and should do,” said attorney Jonathan Sweet. “Patients are concerned about simply receiving unexplained lab work. Unsatisfied with the results.”

A statement from the hospital highlighting the development Wednesday did not provide details about how the exposure may have occurred or how to correct it. Officials have since remained mum on the specifics.

After becoming aware of the issue earlier this year, officials said they corrected the practice and notified quality and infection control teams.

“Salem Hospital has notified all potentially affected patients, a hotline staffed by clinicians has been set up to answer questions, and we are providing them with free screening and any necessary support,” officials said in a statement. To date, there is no evidence that this incident resulted in any infection.”

The hospital has been working with the state Department of Public Health on the situation and conducting an on-site investigation.

The department also recommends that hospitals “provide free follow-up care, including testing,” a department spokesperson told the news outlet.

A hospital spokesman said the test provided was “standard for this type of exposure as they are common blood-borne pathogenic viruses that do not usually produce symptomatic infection”.

Keches Law received about a dozen calls Friday from “extremely concerned and anxious” patients who felt “betrayed,” attorney Jeff Catalano said. “. Some calls come every five to 10 minutes, he said.

“Let’s remember these are vulnerable people,” Catalano said. “These are people who undergo endoscopic surgery for very specific reasons. The reason is that they have some medical complications…that could be life-changing for themselves and could be life-threatening.”