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Mar. 04, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Unsafe cost cuts 'common practice'

By PAUL HARASIM
REVIEW-JOURNAL
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When public health officials announced last week that dangerous medical practices at a local medical center had exposed Southern Nevadans to potentially lethal viruses, the center announced it had hired a consultant to help "ensure that it will never happen again."

The consultant, a former scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke Monday on the issue for the first time.

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    • She said that if dangerous medical practices were commonly undertaken at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, she feared she knew why: "My guess is they did it to save money."

    In a long-distance phone call from her office near Charleston, S.C., Dr. Janine Jason, a Harvard-trained physician who served for 23 years as a senior CDC epidemiologist, said that unsafe cost-cutting is a "common practice in a lot of places."

    "It's a matter of minimal risk versus no risk," said Jason, the CEO of Jason and Jarvis Associates. "They've got these vials of medication, and they're not going to use them on just one patient. It should never happen, but it does. Money is a factor."

    An investigation by medical investigators in Las Vegas determined that the center's reuse of syringes in a manner that contaminated vials of medication, and the reuse of vials intended for a single patient, had exposed patients to viruses such as hepatitis B and C and HIV.

    Jason said that because of scheduling problems, she has yet to meet with medical personnel in Las Vegas. She has never talked to the medical staff, she said, only to a law firm, Lewis and Roca, employed by center doctors. She was surprised to learn Monday that the city last week had shut down the endoscopy center.

    Nathalie Daum, a spokeswoman for the law firm, which has offices in Las Vegas, Reno, Arizona and New Mexico, declined to comment. The firm's Web site said specialities include defense of public corruption, consumer fraud, health care fraud and abuse and first-degree murder.

    At first, Jason said, she thought the center wanted to hire her only for public relations purposes, just to make it look like the center was taking steps to remedy a problem.

    "But they seemed so nice and sincere, I decided that wasn't the case," she said. Her recommendations to the center could include having an infectious-disease specialist on staff and revising the training of employees.

    She said representatives of the firm let her talk by phone with some public health care officials in Las Vegas, whose names she could not remember.

    "I told them it would have been nice for them to check out other places there to see how widespread the practice is" involving reuse of syringes and vials.

    Had they spread their "net out even further," she said, she is sure they would have found more health care practitioners guilty of unsafe practices.

    But the public announcement and news coverage, she said, ensured that other health centers would curb their unsafe practices.

    She isn't sure the hepatitis outbreak of six cases -- now traced to two days at the center in 2007, July 25 and Sept 21 -- warranted notifying 40,000 former patients.

    "That's not how they do it elsewhere," she said.

    Jason said it is possible that unsafe practices were used only on those days.

    She hopes, she said, that is the case.

    "It could be just a foolish mistake, just like not washing your hands is," she said. "They certainly know not to reuse the Propofol (anesthetic)."

    But health officials observed the unsafe practices at the clinic in the aftermath of the hepatitis outbreak as part of their investigation.

    Jason said that if she determines the staff were purposely cutting corners to cut costs and putting lives at risk, she would find that "unconscionable."

    "I may have to give them a lecture on not doing what they know they shouldn't have done," she said.

    Contact reporter Paul Harasim at pharasim@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2908.



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    p wrote on March 06, 2008 06:42 PM: My thouhts and prayers are with the patients and families.I totally condemn the clinics practices.

    Let's not do ethnic bashing as not all the doctors from india are bad. it is worth noting that the source of hepatitis contamination is from only one patient and this patient was under the care of DR. Carrol(along with Dr. desai and others) and he should have taken utmost precautions had he known that the clinic he partially owns had been participating in bad policy. So please folks, try to identify that only few doctors, nurses were involved here and we will ask the authorities to take imediate action. Please dont blame all the doctors and nurses from usa or other country.

    Most of the doctors and nurses are committed to the noble proffession and will uphold the oath


    mitch wrote on March 05, 2008 07:37 PM: I just want to say that a lecture on what not to do how about finding out who was responsible and firing them and charging them with murder period. And how about checking on clinics all around the country without warning like in food processing plants and cat hing them in the act and put them in prision that should scare some to stop.


    oxy wrote on March 04, 2008 09:07 PM: "It could be just a foolish mistake, just like not washing your hands is," she said. "They certainly know not to reuse the Propofol (anesthetic)."

    I think this quote is what you call an oxymoron. You see........doing something that you know is wrong is no mistake. What an idiot this Jason fool is. DUHHHHHHHHHHHHH.


    Lecture this wrote on March 04, 2008 09:06 PM: "I may have to give them a lecture on not doing what they know they shouldn't have done," she said.

    Yes, lecture them and keep them free so they can pour more money into the political campaigns.

    Lecture them? Are these three year olds we are talking about? Lecture them on what they know was wrong? We are beyond lecturing and time out.........JAIL TIME.


    Jb wrote on March 04, 2008 07:38 PM: It is unfortunate that this handful of unethical or uncaring health care professionals will be the trademark for all of the remaining ones. There are many, many doctors and nurses in this town who believe in what they do and are committed to treating patients. They go to work everyday with the intent of doing the best that they can and to practice as they were taught. A few bad apples spoil the bunch and it really is a shame how many other health care professionals will loose their credibility and loose their patients' trust due to this.


    Fedup wrote on March 04, 2008 07:17 PM: Dave this is not a racial or ethnic assault The marquis Desai Had not a racist bone in his body he assaulted all of any race color and creed and laughed all the way to the bank!


    Dave wrote on March 04, 2008 06:16 PM: This shouldn't be a big surprise. The West Coast is becoming a 3rd-world hellhole in the name of greed and hyper-capitalism. What is wrong with you morons anyway? Hopefully you'll run out of water and realize what foolish pigs you've become. Have fun with the BMW and condo payments (you likely overpaid for both).


    G wrote on March 04, 2008 05:52 PM: dude, that has nothing to do with Jews or Jewishness affecting America. America is capitalist. When the goal of doing business in America is to make as much money as possible, these type of calculated betrayals to consumers happen when there aren't enough checks on how corporations run their business. The republicans call that 'unnecessary bureaucracy' and 'big government'.


    moondejarthefruit wrote on March 04, 2008 04:41 PM: I think that this whole thing is an example of how rampant Jewishness has invaded America. Anything for a buck. These heebrews have just been rolling the dradle with everyones lives and it just makes me sick. They should all be given colonoscopies with menorahs tainted with Ebola. Ive had it with this stuff.


    Las Vegan wrote on March 04, 2008 04:16 PM: After reading this article, my question is: is Ms Jason for real?


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