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Familiar face answers call for help resolving endoscopy center crisis




Dr. Mary Guinan spent 20 years with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigating and tracking deadly infectious diseases such as AIDS and smallpox.

On Thursday, she became Nevada's acting chief public health officer and will be charged with getting to the bottom of the hepatitis C outbreak and keeping Nevadans healthy.


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  • "How is it possible in this day and age, in infection control?'' Guinan asked about the link health officials have made between seven hepatitis C cases and medical practices at two Southern Nevada endoscopy centers. "That's what I am going to try to find out.''

    Guinan's comments came hours after Gov. Jim Gibbons announced she would be taking the job. She held the chief public health officer's position from 1998 to 2002; the position had been open since Dr. Bradford Lee retired in June.

    The first task for Guinan -- along with the Southern Nevada Health District -- is to ensure the 40,000 patients who were warned to be tested for hepatitis C and HIV are located. Health officials then must identify those who test positive and direct them to the appropriate care.

    Six people are believed to have contracted hepatitis C last year at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada at 700 Shadow Lane as a result of unsafe injection practices.

    A seventh case was linked to Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center at 4275 S. Burnham Ave. However, the health district has yet to determine if a second wave of notifications needs to be sent out to those patients, because their records are in the possession of the Metropolitan Police Department, which is conducting a criminal investigation.

    Guinan said there's a disconnect among agencies handling pieces of the hepatitis C investigation. She plans to make sure each agency has access to the same information at the same time.

    "In public health you have to be an optimist. We have to make changes,'' said Guinan, whose work on the CDC's AIDS Task Force involved interviewing some of the nation's first AIDS patients.

    "As a state health officer, I have the power to enact regulations if there is an emergency,'' she said. "With this situation now, I don't think I will have to do that. But the power is there.''

    Maurizio Trevisan, vice chancellor and chief executive officer of the University of Nevada Health Sciences System, said Guinan is the right person for the job because she has "energy, passion and is inspiring.''

    Gibbons expressed confidence in Guinan at a Thursday news conference, saying, "She brings forward a great deal of background and experience that's going to be very helpful for the state."

    Asked whether the position's vacancy had affected the state's ability to respond to the crisis, Gibbons said flatly, "No, I do not.''

    Guinan, dean of UNLV's public health department, said she was surprised when the state's Health Division called her about leaving her position to take over as the health officer.

    Guinan, who earned her medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., said she spoke with UNLV's provost and president about taking the job. She said accommodations were made to let her stay on as dean as well as perform the duties of acting state health officer.

    Guinan on Thursday held conference calls with the health district and the state's Health Division to discuss how they are collaborating.

    She plans to speak with CDC officials today to determine their role in the investigation and to seek out resources, such as experts to develop a panel on infectious disease control practices.

    "This is not unique to Nevada. I plan to contact state health officers in Nebraska and New York and other states where there have been outbreaks to find out what they did and how they solved the problem. We want to learn from their experience.''

    Guinan plans to review results of the state's Bureau of Licensure and Certification inspections of all 50 ambulatory surgery centers. Such facilities are a relatively new concept in the nation, she said.

    "These are high volume medical care facilities. And we don't know enough about them. We have to figure out how to regulate them, as opposed to how we regulate hospitals and nursing homes.''

    Before Guinan joined the state health division in 1998, she was a physician and scientist at the CDC for 20 years.

    During her previous stint as Nevada's chief health officer, Guinan worked on fluoridating Nevada's water supply and helping to investigate the leukemia cluster in Fallon.

    Review-Journal writer Molly Ball contributed to this report. Contact reporter Annette Wells at awells@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0283.

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    Nolongerwaiting wrote on April 06, 2008 12:49 AM: Hey Pub. after 20 days I got my results this time they were negative! Of course I have to be retested in the next 2 months as I had my procedure in October. I will apllaud Dr Guinan as somewhere in my heart I would like to believe that someone is really watching out for me and others! I don,t care what she wears or what she does as long as she does the right thing and protects innocent people from receiving 3rd world health care Glad to see that you are posting and no one attacking you.


    A Public Servant Forever wrote on April 04, 2008 07:13 PM: Welcome Aboard, Dr. Guinan; I am looking forward to working with you, specifically in working towards written Inter-Agency Agreements between the various, Local, State, and Federal Governments in improving the quality of care and treatment of patients in the State of Nevada. It is truly a tough job just trying to keep everyone on the same page, in particular all of these entities; however, it is just as well of the utmost importance to effectively get this job done. I am very pleased to have you aboard in this mission.


    In Luv wrote on April 04, 2008 06:30 PM: Darn, doesn't she look hot!!!

    Yowser, Yowser,

    Anyone know is she is single?


    Bloodwork wrote on April 04, 2008 06:27 PM: 6 new cases of Dinatitus


    no wonder wrote on April 04, 2008 04:14 PM: Nevada had no chief public health officer until this doc was appointed?? No wonder the bureaucrats keep changing their story about the cause. How could the governor say it didn't make a difference in the way the state responded? Is he on crack?


    RN wrote on April 04, 2008 02:41 PM: Hopefully, she won't make up evidence on a an as-needed basis like the clowns over at the health department.


    Ignore the hat wrote on April 04, 2008 02:38 PM: If she helped figure out what the cause of AIDS is, she can probably figure out what the cause of the hepatitis outbreaks is.

    She doesn't strike me as the type to shoot her mouth off before having the facts. That's pretty common over at the Southern Nevada Health District. Like bad cops, they find the suspect and then make up or misrepresent the evidence to support a foregone conclusion.

    Hopefully, the application of scientific principles to this fiasco will help determine the cause and protect the public health.

    In my experience, a lot of really smart people have poor taste in hats, clothing, shoes, etc. I think it's because they're minds are elsewhere.


    Thank God! wrote on April 04, 2008 02:24 PM: Thank God somebody with the appropriate training and background is going to focus on the cause of the hepatitis infections at Desai' clinic.

    If this woman had been investigating the situation from the get-go, I seriously doubt it would have been botched like it has been.

    If the State's investigators had been as interested in finding the cause of the outbreaks instead of finding a scapegoat, the investigation would probably not have been botched.


    BarneyFife wrote on April 04, 2008 11:41 AM: Hey Andy, did you meet Dr. Guinan?
    Sure did Barn.
    Andy, who is our animal control officer?
    You are Barn. Why you asking?
    Well Andy, I think there's a dead animal in Dr. Guinan's hat.
    I was thinkin' that too, Barn. I bet she's got a dead bird up there.
    I don't think so Andy. It looks like a lily pad up in her fedora or whatever you call that and I was thinkin' there's a dead frog hidin' under there somewhere.
    Geez Barn, I don't know what kinda dead critter is up there, but you better go find out. And if it's dead you better check it for rabies. You might have to quarantine the doctor.
    I'll get on it right away Andy. Hey I almost forget. Did you know that Dr. Venger bought Floyd's barber shop.
    Didn't know that Barn.
    Yeah, he's thinkin' of callin' the place Uncle Ben's Beauty Parlor and Donut Shop.
    Barn, I gotta run. Aunt Bee needs her interferon. She's still yellow like a big old squash. And don't forget about the lady doctor with the dead critter on her head.
    I'm on it Andy.


    Gloria Boronat wrote on April 04, 2008 11:18 AM: When Ms. Guian said how is possible in these days situation like families don't know is they're or they'were infected in those facilities, I would like to know where the Health district,been all this time, they're equal or more responsable in these matters. Also no only private facilities the hospitals who control the proper, safety, system as a citizen , pacient , mother, and wife. how save we are, Situation like these , can happen in third world country . I strong Believe America had lost all the common sense and respect thank you .


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