Tulsa County Dentist May Have Exposed 7,000 Patients To HIV, Hepatitis
Brandi Ball, NewsOn6.com
Tulsa County Health Department officials announce that a local dentist may have exposed 7,000 patients to blood-borne viruses. Tulsa County Health Department officials announce that a local dentist may have exposed 7,000 patients to blood-borne viruses.
A Tulsa dentist may have exposed as many as 7,000 patients to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV since 2007, Tulsa County Health Department officials announced at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
Officials said one of Harrington's patients contracted hepatitis B, which began the investigation.
An investigation into the practice of W. Scott Harrington, D.M.D. found numerous violations of health and safety laws and major violations of the State Dental Act, the department said. Dental Board investigators have been assisted by agents from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration concerning the maintenance, control and use of drugs on the premises, according to the board.
Harrington and his office voluntarily discontinued practicing upon the beginning of the investigation, according to officials.
The next step is to notify approximately 7,000 patients about potential exposure to blood-borne viruses. Patients who had procedures at Harrington's dental practice, located on South Atlanta Place in Tulsa or in Owasso, Oklahoma, will begin to receive letters in the mail from the health department. Patient information was only available for the past seven years, the department said.
"Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV are serious medical conditions and infected patients may not have outward symptoms of the disease for many years," a news release said. "As a precaution, and in order to take appropriate steps to protect their health, it is important for these patients to get tested. It should be noted that transmission in this type of occupational setting is rare."
All testing will be done for free at the Tulsa Health Department's North Regional Health and Wellness Center located at 5635 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Services will be provided on a walk-in basis starting on Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m.– 2 p.m. and will resume on Monday, April 1 from 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. In addition, the health department has set up a hotline at 918 -595-4500 for people with questions about this notification or hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV.
http://www.newson6.com/story/21820518/tulsa-county-dentist-may-have-exposed-patients-to-hiv-hepatitis
Well there's a bunch of frightened people running around now. Unbelievable that this schmoe doesn't take his responsibility as a health provider seriously.
Holy Cow...lead story on ABC National !
Drudge is covering it....
Quote from: guido911 on March 28, 2013, 06:07:03 PM
Drudge is covering it....
Proof that the story is more hyperbole than a disaster.
This won't be the first time THD has made a
story bad situation serve as a warning to the community.
Unfortunately, it makes our city look dirty.
Harrington's the dirty one....
My better half knows him. And she is saying that his younger wife, who "may" be upset with him. Probably set this in motion.
This is of no shock to me. Because I know a couple of Dentists who like to hire very young and attractive assistants. And usually get involved with one or two of them over a period of time. Not judging. Just being jealous. ;D
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2300697/Rusty-instruments-reused-needles-Oklahoma-dental-office-exposed-7-000-patients-HIV-hepatitis.html
It's pretty much world news now, either because of the scope, or the belief that something like this was almost impossible.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21976581
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/29/health/oklahoma-dental-warning/index.html
http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/28/hiv-test-urged-for-7000-oklahoma-dental-patients/
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/us-dental-clinic-in-oklahoma-a-menace-to-public-health/story-fnddckzi-1226609294629
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/29/oklahoma-dentist-hiv/2030373/
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Patients-on-edge-after-dentist-investigation/x03ghSYbSUOjMIfJOS7sZg.cspx
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g1ZOkAJ4ojBst-WNwLR9dutlnsUg?docId=CNG.3932bc2fe49f68abf76852e82ea3843c.3c1
I guess I don't get this, isn't there more than one person working in an office, is this about sterilizing tools? They make it sound like HE had the infections and shot them up with his blood..so this is about dirty tools..when I go to the dentist I see him personally for just a few minutes its the rest of the office staff, I am sure he isn't the one cleaning these, am I wrong? Help me out here...wouldn't the dental assistants be to blame or whoever cleans these things?
Here is what I see, he trusted the people he hired by this quote
"Dental assistants needing an extra dose of an anesthetic would re-insert used needles into drug vials, drug vials were used on multiple patients, the office had no written infection-protection procedure and Harrington told officials he left questions about sterilization and drug procedures to his employees." so it seems like yes he is ultimately responsible and should have been up to date on what HIS staff was doing but there is more than one fish to fry here...
I got my wisdom teeth pulled by this idiot in 2008. Awesome.
Zstyles-Not really. He is responsible period. That's one reason why medical professionals are well paid (and pay a lot for mal insurance) is because they ultimately decide the professionalism of their offices through their hiring and supervision.
7000 patients since 2007 and two different locations seems like a lot of business for one dentist to watch over, but I feel certain mine could handle it. He is no-nonsense and his staff runs a tight ship. This guy screwed up somewhere.
Way over blown....
Quote from: Breadburner on March 29, 2013, 06:09:56 PM
Way over blown....
I'm guessing if you were one of the seven-thousand, then not so much.
Quote from: Hoss on March 29, 2013, 06:47:50 PM
I'm guessing if you were one of the seven-thousand, then not so much.
Story is over-blown. It was written to make 7000 people to smile their pants thinking they are now HIV positive.
Like someone else said lots of hyperbole. I suspect the impact is a very small percentage. Don't get me wrong, there's no excusing the behavior, but no reason to believe everyone of his patients got blood-borne pathogens which is what the sensational headlines suggest.
Quote from: Conan71 on March 29, 2013, 10:20:25 PM
Story is over-blown. It was written to make 7000 people to smile their pants thinking they are now HIV positive.
Like someone else said lots of hyperbole. I suspect the impact is a very small percentage. Don't get me wrong, there's no excusing the behavior, but no reason to believe everyone of his patients got blood-borne pathogens which is what the sensational headlines suggest.
And if you or your daughters or Mrs C had used this guy?
I'm not saying the media isn't overplaying this, but I'd be pissing my pants right now if I had been one of his patients.
Let's not marginalize it, either. The reason it got such big air play is because the potential number of victims is the highest the CDC has ever heard of in one case. That's what made it news-worthy.
Way over-blown....
Quote from: Conan71 on March 29, 2013, 10:20:25 PM
I suspect the impact is a very small percentage. Don't get me wrong, there's no excusing the behavior, but no reason to believe everyone of his patients got blood-borne pathogens which is what the sensational headlines suggest.
What percentage would you call acceptable?
This only came to light after someone already tested positive.
Quote from: patric on March 30, 2013, 11:11:48 AM
What percentage would you call acceptable?
Even with proper precautions, which this guy obviously did not observe, the percentage will be greater than 0.0% (0r however many decimal places you want.) That leaves us all with a decision on what percentage greater than 0.0% is acceptable. I don't have a personal number in mind. It would probably, unfortunately, depend on whether or not "you" know anyone involved.
Quote from: Red Arrow on March 30, 2013, 12:10:27 PM
Even with proper precautions, which this guy obviously did not observe, the percentage will be greater than 0.0% (0r however many decimal places you want.) That leaves us all with a decision on what percentage greater than 0.0% is acceptable. I don't have a personal number in mind. It would probably, unfortunately, depend on whether or not "you" know anyone involved.
I do know of at least one co-worker, and I can only imagine a two-week wait for test results might seem like an eternity for her.
I remember my first needle stick working in the ER 20 years ago--when HIV was far more terrifying than it is today.
Quote from: patric on March 30, 2013, 03:18:57 PM
I do know of at least one co-worker, and I can only imagine a two-week wait for test results might seem like an eternity for her.
Gonna make a sweeping statement here for all the people on this topic - give your co-worker our condolences that she is having to go through this and hope it works out well for her!!
And all the rest of the 7,000!
Quote from: patric on March 30, 2013, 11:11:48 AM
What percentage would you call acceptable?
This only came to light after someone already tested positive.
None is
acceptable.
The media making it sound as if 7,000 people have contracted Hep B & C as well as HIV is despicable.
Quote from: Conan71 on April 01, 2013, 11:06:54 AM
The media making it sound as if 7,000 people have contracted Hep B & C as well as HIV is despicable.
Ive not seen anyone make that statement.
What I have seen are statements to the effect that there are around 7,000 people who may have been exposed, and should get tested, and that came from the horse's mouth:
http://www.tulsa-health.org/sites/default/files/page_attachments/Dental%20HAI%20patient%20notification%20Letter_%20032713_kkb%20approved_ph%20edit.pdf
Quote from: Conan71 on April 01, 2013, 11:06:54 AM
None is acceptable.
The media making it sound as if 7,000 people have contracted Hep B & C as well as HIV is despicable.
If that's what you're taking away from the media reports, then your comprehension may be suffering in your old age. ;D
The sensational headlines are out there:
QuoteDr. Wayne Scott Harrington May Have Left 7,000 Patients Exposed to Deadly Bloodborne Pathogens, HIV
Read more at http://americanlivewire.com/dr-wayne-scott-harrington/
QuoteW. Scott Harrington, Oklahoma Dentist, May Have Exposed 7,000 Patients To HIV Or Hepatitis- HuffPo
QuoteDr. Scott Harrington, accused of exposing patients to HIV and Hepatitis, tracked to home in Arizona
Read more: http://www.kjrh.com/gallery/news/news_photo_gallery/dr-scott-harrington-accused-of-exposing-patients-to-hiv-and-hepatitis-tracked-to-home-in-arizona#ixzz2PFEH3V8p
I saw on FB this morning someone who used to post here every now and then was waiting in line at the TCHD. Major kudos to the Health Department and dental board for stepping up and putting this to an end as well as getting testing for these people as quick as possible.
Quote from: Conan71 on April 01, 2013, 03:15:30 PM
The sensational headlines are out there:
I saw on FB this morning someone who used to post here every now and then was waiting in line at the TCHD. Major kudos to the Health Department and dental board for stepping up and putting this to an end as well as getting testing for these people as quick as possible.
I don't claim that they aren't. I just don't like trivializing it when I have two in my extended family I know of affected by this, plus a third who is a friend.
This isn't quite the same, but I was in that batch of people in 1989 or 1990 who found out they had a bad batch of measles shots from their youth. I had to go back and take them again. I thought tetanus shots were painful until I got this again.
They need to throw the book at this guy.
Quote from: Hoss on April 01, 2013, 03:21:29 PM
I don't claim that they aren't. I just don't like trivializing it when I have two in my extended family I know of affected by this, plus a third who is a friend.
This isn't quite the same, but I was in that batch of people in 1989 or 1990 who found out they had a bad batch of measles shots from their youth. I had to go back and take them again. I thought tetanus shots were painful until I got this again.
They need to throw the book at this guy.
I'm not trivializing it at all. I'm simply making the point the media is needlessly scaring the smile out of people by being a little loose with the facts. But that's how they make money by getting the largest number of people to watch.
Quote from: Conan71 on April 01, 2013, 03:34:28 PM
I'm not trivializing it at all. I'm simply making the point the media is needlessly scaring the smile out of people by being a little loose with the facts. But that's how they make money by getting the largest number of people to watch.
OK, lets see how you would have written the story.
Quote from: patric on April 01, 2013, 03:38:50 PM
OK, lets see how you would have written the story.
I'll give it a whirl: "Recently, jackbooted government thugs wearing SS uniforms stormed into a health care providers' office..." Sound good to you so far?
I see the story has gone fairly national now. I am interested in who is defending this dentist in the licensing action. I did lots of that kind of work in the past.
Quote from: guido911 on April 02, 2013, 02:51:52 AM
I'll give it a whirl: "Recently, jackbooted government thugs wearing SS uniforms stormed into a health care providers' office..." Sound good to you so far?
I see the story has gone fairly national now. I am interested in who is defending this dentist in the licensing action. I did lots of that kind of work in the past.
Interesting....
How does one defend the indefensible?
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on April 02, 2013, 07:24:13 AM
Interesting....
How does one defend the indefensible?
Check your copy of the Constitution, everyone is entitled to a proper defense. Even when they are a completely indifferent a-hole.
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on April 02, 2013, 07:24:13 AM
Interesting....
How does one defend the indefensible?
You stand there and bold face lie in front of the masses and the media in the Courtroom.
And then go back to the Judges chambers and tell it like it really is, where the real decisions are made.
Quote from: Conan71 on April 02, 2013, 08:55:28 AM
Check your copy of the Constitution, everyone is entitled to a proper defense. Even when they are a completely indifferent a-hole.
Yeah...I know and absolutely believe it completely! Just wonder how on a personal level someone can do that...I don't think I could. I guess if I looked at it from the point of view of the greater good for society - going to that Constitution thing. The needs of the one are only assured for the many when that happens.
Quote from: Conan71 on April 02, 2013, 08:55:28 AM
Check your copy of the Constitution, everyone is entitled to a proper defense. Even when they are a completely indifferent a-hole.
Speaks a lot to me when they tracked him down and found him in ..... Arizona.
And...he inferred it was his employee's responsibility.
Those headlines were accurate and I don't understand how they were considered "loose with the facts" or sensational.
There may in fact have been 7000 people exposed to infectious diseases through his offices. That is accurate. Had they said "Thousands may have been exposed to deadly toxic viruses" that is accurate but sensational.
Perhaps writing at the level of the reader might be better..."Bad things happening at local dentist offices"
Quote from: AquaMan on April 02, 2013, 09:41:57 AM
And...he inferred it was his employee's responsibility.
Those headlines were accurate and I don't understand how they were considered "loose with the facts" or sensational.
There may in fact have been 7000 people exposed to infectious diseases through his offices. That is accurate. Had they said "Thousands may have been exposed to deadly toxic viruses" that is accurate but sensational.
Perhaps writing at the level of the reader might be better..."Bad things happening at local dentist offices"
May is the key word... Remove "May" and you have sensationalized it and tried to scare the smile out of people. But let's get real. This guy is working in your mouth and a majority of the work he is doing is going to have him jabbing a sharp instrument into your gums or cheek. And if he is cutting corners on the sterilization process (including reusing morphine vials), I am pretty sure there is a healthy reason to have fear. Especially considering I read a report that said he had a higher than normal number of Hep and HIV patients.
Quote from: guido911 on April 02, 2013, 02:51:52 AM
I'll give it a whirl: "Recently, jackbooted government thugs wearing SS uniforms stormed into a health care providers' office..." Sound good to you so far?
I see the story has gone fairly national now.
Welcome to last week, Guido.
Quote from: guido911 on April 02, 2013, 02:51:52 AM
I am interested in who is defending this dentist in the licensing action. I did lots of that kind of work in the past.
Harrington's malpractice lawyer was identified as Jim Secrest II.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/31/patients-oklahoma-doctor-line-up-to-get-tested-for-hepatitis-hiv/
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on April 02, 2013, 07:24:13 AM
Interesting....
How does one defend the indefensible?
Well, the first step is not to think you are defending the "indefensible". :D But seriously, licensing actions, criminal actions, and civil actions have varying proof requirements, evidentiary rules, etc. They are literally different forums with different processes.
Quote from: guido911 on April 02, 2013, 03:50:00 PM
licensing actions, criminal actions, and civil actions have varying proof requirements, evidentiary rules, etc. They are literally different forums with different processes.
It's amazing that you can think a piece of evidence is conclusive, yet someone else will view it and it's almost as if they just came from another planet.
Judge Tim Mills dismissed assault charges against McAlester police officer Sterling Taylor, ruling that there wasn't enough evidence....despite clear video of the officer tasering a handcuffed woman point-blank.
http://www.ktul.com/story/19465394/police-officer-disciplined-after-tasering-woman
Quote from: patric on April 03, 2013, 12:16:28 AM
It's amazing that you can think a piece of evidence is conclusive, yet someone else will view it and it's almost as if they just came from another planet.
Judge Tim Mills dismissed assault charges against McAlester police officer Sterling Taylor, ruling that there wasn't enough evidence.
...despite clear video of the officer tasering a handcuffed woman point-blank.
http://www.ktul.com/story/19465394/police-officer-disciplined-after-tasering-woman
It's not about logic and what's right...it's about point of law and precedent.