PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview is notifying 260 former patients that they may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.
The potential exposure involves patients who were fitted for dental appliances for sleep apnea at PeaceHealth St. John between Nov. 18, 2013 and Feb. 26, 2016. The hospital sent notification letters by certified mail to all potentially affected patients, according to a PeaceHealth news release.
Hospital officials discovered the potential exposure during an internal review of infection-control practices.
“The likelihood of infection is extremely low,” said Kirk Raboin, PeaceHealth St. John chief administrative officer, in the news release. “We are acting with an abundance of caution because our highest priority is the health and safety of our patients.”
PeaceHealth St. John is offering testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV to all involved patients. Testing will be available at PeaceHealth’s occupational health office, 1405 Delaware St. in Longview. The hospital will also pay for the testing if patients choose to go through another provider or lab.
For more information, visit www.peacehealth.org/testing or call the patient support line, 844-804-7904, between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily.
