Baltimore Va Hospital/hepatitis C Testing

[hramer]

Hello,

I am a reporter for The Associated Press in New Hampshire and have been covering the story of a traveling medical technician accused of infecting 30 patients with hepatitis C here. David Kwiatkowski, also worked at more than a dozen hospitals in seven other states, including the Baltimore VA hospital.

He worked there from May 2008 - November 2008.

I am trying to find people who have been asked to get tested for hepatitis C because they may have been exposed while he worked there. (He generally worked in cardiac cath labs).

If anyone fits that description and would be willing to talk to me, please contact me at hramer@ap.org.

Thank you,

Holly Ramer

[Berta]

The VA in Maryland is supposedly contacting 168 veterans who might have had contact with this doctor.

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_14370.shtml?wap=0

As a reporter, would you be able to FOIA the VA for the list of those names?

This news story says a non- VA hospital is Maryland is “scrambling” to contact patients who could have been affected:

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/07/david-kwiatkowski-more-charges-expected-over-hepatitis-c-outbreak-in-nh-possibly-md--78179.html

I sure hope the VA is scrambling too.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention here. I have been following this in the news .

[hramer]

Thank you Berta! I had not thought of doing a FOIA, I'm guessing that patient confidentiality laws would apply, but the fact that it is a VA facility might change things. I will look into it!

Best,

Holly Ramer

[Berta]

Holly- you are right that confidential laws might apply but I watch all the CNN trial lawyer shows and it amazes me what the press can often get their hands on under the public's 'right to know' basis.

Also- I have used FOIA many many times over the years..

The Dept of Labor as well as the VA inadvertently sent me confidential information in responses to 2 FOIAs I had sent them years ago.

I was thrilled with what I got

DOL threathened to send a US Marshall here because I didnt want to give back the fabulous stuff they erroneously sent to me.

I missed some yard sales waiting for the US Marshall to show up and finally called USM office in Rochester to see when he was coming.

But DOL had made that threat up. I did send them back the info about a year later with a Thank You card. HAHA

In the other situation ,my husband had filed an EEOC case against the VA regarding a hiring they had done.

I FOIAed the VA for any information available on the newly hired non vet who had no prior VA experience (who they hired over about 12 VA applicants, all disabled vets with experience in the same department and who all sought this position too). I expected them to deny the FOIA under the Privacy Act.

The dopes- ooops I mean their FOIA officer sent me every single application for this opening ,names, SSA numbers and all.and I quickly determined the new hire had used a VA employee friend as a reference yet had no prior experience .

My long point here is that I use FOIA with the expectation that I might get more then I bargained for as mistakes are sure made in violation of 5 USC 552 by the very people employed to honor those laws, as FOIA officers.

Good Luck on getting the info you need!