Four nurses are suing Landmark Hospital of Athens, Ga., alleging the hospital intentionally manipulated COVID-19 test results to hide an outbreak at the facility, according to TV station WXIA.
The nurses claim they were instructed to take tracheal swabs and then send them to a lab that only tests nasal swabs. The swabs were rejected because the lab was unable to perform the COVID-19 tests on those types of specimens.
"Landmark purposefully submitted these samples with purposefully incorrect labels to orchestrate negative results for patients who had previously tested positive for COVID-19," the complaint states.
One nurse, who agreed to speak to WXIA on the condition of anonymity, claims she properly administered a COVID-19 test and was subsequently fired for doing so.
"I did the test, and it did turn out positive and I was terminated for not having a doctor's order for a test," the nurse told WXIA.
The nurses are asking the court to step in and require the hospital to fix the alleged testing issues.
Regarding the lawsuit, Landmark Hospital CEO Marie Saylor, MSN, RN, released the following statement to WXIA:
"While we cannot comment in detail on pending litigation, we can assure you that we will vigorously investigate allegations and defend our hospital and its staff against misleading and false claims. We have always made the safety and well-being of our patients and staff our top priority, and continue to do so as we manage the local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Landmark Hospital of Athens follows CDC, state and local guidelines as well as established protocols and procedures for COVID-19 testing. We are fully cooperating with all government inquiries about our operations, and look forward to promptly and fully resolving this matter."
Read the full report here.