McCarter & English, LLP’s Health Care Group presents Issue 10 of the Health Law Insights, which discusses the latest legal issues in the health care industry.

NATIONAL -

Drug Diversion Case Raises Red Flags for Hospitals Nationwide -

A surgical technician who was discovered diverting drugs at a hospital in Denver and is suspected to have been diverting drugs at three prior hospitals from which he was terminated has tested positive for HIV according to federal prosecutors in Colorado. In a statement released on June 1, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced, “Blood testing released by consent of Rocky Allen has confirmed that federal defendant and former Swedish Medical Center of Colorado (Swedish) employee Rocky Allen carries HIV (subtype B) and that he is negative for Hepatitis B and C. Rocky Allen was a surgery technician at Swedish between August 2015 and January 2016. During his employment, he allegedly diverted fentanyl from the facility.” The press release went on to note that Swedish had contacted 3,000 patients who were potentially impacted by Allen’s action and that 2,500 had taken advantage of the free testing provided by the hospital. Five hundred patients still had not been tested as of the June 1 announcement.