Tag: Hepatitis C

Judge Hears Arguments in Possible Hepatitis Exposure Case

Arguments have been presented in the case involving patients possibly exposed to hepatitis at Beckley’s Raleigh Heart Clinic.

WVVA-TV reports attorney Steve New, who represents 65 of the 140 patients, asked Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick Thursday to consider their cases as part of a class action lawsuit, saying his clients contracted hepatitis from the clinic.

The clinic’s attorney, Don Sensabaugh, asked that the cases be tried separately.

The state Department of Health and Human Resources sent letters to over 2,300 clinic patients in March, saying they may have been exposed to hepatitis B and C as well as HIV.

At the time, officials said they were investigating 12 cases of hepatitis linked to injectable medications given during cardiac stress tests.

Kirkpatrick will make his ruling at a later date.

New Cases of Possible Hepatitis Exposure at Heart Clinic

More cases involving patients possibly exposed to hepatitis at a heart clinic in West Virginia have emerged.

 

Attorney Stephen New tells WVVA-TV that his firm has 60 clients who he believes contracted hepatitis from the Raleigh Heart Clinic in Beckley.

More than 2,300 clinic patients received letters from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources in March, saying they may have been exposed to hepatitis B and C as well as HIV.

 

At the time, health officials said they were investigating 12 cases of hepatitis linked to injectable medications given during cardiac stress tests at the clinic.

 

In May, Raleigh County commissioners approved more than $8,600 to the health department to help cover the costs of testing.

County to Help Pay for Hepatitis Testing for Clinic Patients

The Raleigh County Commission has voted to cover some of the testing costs for Raleigh Heart Clinic patients possibly exposed to hepatitis.

News outlets report that hundreds of people have been flocking to the Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department for testing after officials announced earlier this spring that 16 people have tested positive for hepatitis B or C in connection with cardiac stress tests conducted at the heart clinic.

Raleigh County commissioners on Tuesday approved more than $8,600 to the health department to help cover the costs. The clinic has been billed for reimbursement.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources will pay for lab work.

Officials have urged more than 2,300 patients of the heart clinic to be tested for hepatitis B and C as well as HIV.

More Heart Clinic Patients Notified About Hepatitis Risk

Health officials have notified more patients at a West Virginia heart clinic who may have been exposed to hepatitis.

Local media outlets report that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Monday that four additional cases of hepatitis C were detected by the state Bureau of Public Health.

In March, the bureau investigated 12 cases of hepatitis linked to injectable medications given during cardiac stress tests at the Raleigh Heart Clinic in Beckley.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Rahul Gupta says the four additional cases were contracted before March 1, 2012.

Officials are urging anyone who may have received a stress test at the clinic prior to that date to be tested for hepatitis B and C as well as HIV.

New Initative Aims to Increase Hepatitis-C Care in Rural Areas

West Virginia health and research organizations have partnered to increase access to specialty treatment for Hepatitis-C in rural and underserved areas through telemedicine. A kickoff event for the project will be held today at The West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute in Morgantown.

The idea behind the project – named ECHO, or Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes – is to increase patients’ access to specialists without having to physically leave their local communities.  It is a national model.

Through video-conferencing, specialists at academic institutions will work with primary care providers in rural areas to help care for patients with Hepatitis-C.  This will be the first ECHO project on Hepatitis-C in West Virginia. The new West Virginia Project ECHO is partnering with Cabin Creek Health Systems and other rural clinics throughout the state.

A Tuesday kickoff event at the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute in Morgantown will include speakers and a short presentation about the new initiative.

The project is slated to begin April 26th.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.

12 Cases of Hepatitis Linked to Beckley Clinic

Officials have investigated at least 12 cases of hepatitis linked to a heart clinic in Beckley.

The viruses have been linked to injectable medications given during cardiac stress tests at the Raleigh Heart Clinic.

Department of Health and Human Resources Director of Communications Allison Adler says that eight patients receiving cardiac stress tests have tested positive for hepatitis C and four others have tested positive for hepatitis B. There has not been any evidence of HIV transmission.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Rahul Gupta says the extent of how many individuals were exposed to the pathogens is unknown. Officials are now urging about 2,300 patients of the Raleigh Heart Clinic to be tested for hepatitis B and C as well as HIV.

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