Providence and Oregon Anesthesiology Group are facing a class-action lawsuit for alleged negligence after thousands of patients learned that they may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV due to a physician's inadequate infection control practices, according to court documents accessed by Becker's.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed July 26 in federal court, are four patients identified only by their initials: E.P., K.R., C.R. and D.C. The patients received intravenous anesthesia at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center in Oregon City, Ore., according to court documents.
On July 11, Renton, Wash.-based Providence notified approximately 2,200 patients seen at Providence Willamette Falls and two patients seen at Providence Portland (Ore.) Medical Center, including the plaintiffs, that infection control practices may not have been followed by a physician during some procedures at hospitals in the Portland area.
The physician, who was employed by Oregon Anesthesiology Group, is no longer employed by the group, which also no longer provides services for Providence.
"The actions of this physician might have put patients at a low risk of exposure to possible infections, including hepatitis B and C and HIV," Providence said in a statement at the time.
Portland-based Legacy Health also notified about 220 patients who were potentially exposed to infection.
"Upon learning of this situation, we immediately suspended the provider and launched a comprehensive investigation in accordance with regulations and with our policies and procedures," Legacy told NBC affiliate KGW.
The news outlet reported that Providence switched anesthesiology providers in November, and the physician worked at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham, Ore., for six months beginning in December.
Oregon Anesthesiology Group reportedly learned about the situation in June and has dismissed the practitioner, who has not been publicly identified, according to KGW.
As of July 11, the Oregon Health Authority said it had not received reports of illness tied to the provider's practices.
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs said they and class members have been and will continue to be tested for infections.
"Plaintiffs and class members must now undergo medical treatment for their injuries which would not have been necessary in the absence of defendants' violations alleged herein, and have to live with severe emotional and mental anguish due to defendants' negligence," the lawsuit states.
The plaintiffs seek damages, injunctive relief, declaratory judgments, costs, attorneys' fees and other relief.
Providence told Becker's it will not have a statement, citing pending litigation. As of July 28, the Oregon Anesthesiology Group had not responded to requests for comment from KGW or CBS affiliate KOIN.