October 17, 2012

NH judge to hear dispute over hospital records in hepatitis C case

Exeter Hospital wants to prevent the state from further accessing patient records and conducting staff interviews unless the state is more specific in its requests.

The Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. — A Merrimack County Superior Court judge is hearing a dispute over access to medical records following the hepatitis C outbreak at Exeter Hospital.

Former cardiac lab worker David Kwiatkowski has been charged with stealing drugs from the hospital and replacing them with tainted syringes that were later used on patients. Thirty-two patients have been diagnosed with the same strain of the virus Kwiatkowski carries.

Exeter Hospital has asked the court to prevent state public health officials from further accessing patient records and conducting staff interviews unless the state is more specific in its requests.

The attorney general's office filed an objection and asked for a hearing, saying hospitals are required by law to provide information during a communicable disease investigation.

A hearing is set for Wednesday afternoon in Concord.

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