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Following a hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas that began at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, Governor Jim Gibbons says he is “focused like a laser” on restoring public confidence in Nevada’s health care system.
As a part of the restoration project, Gibbons has fired Lisa Jones, head of the state Bureau of Licensure and Certification, which oversees clinics and issues licenses to the state’s surgical centers, including the endoscopy clinic involved in the outbreak. Jones’ agency allowed the Endoscopy Center to stay open, based on assurances that doctors and nurses there would not reuse syringes or medicine vials again.
Governor Gibbons has also asked for the resignation of three doctors on the state Board of Medical Examiners; Javaid Anwar, S. Daniel McBride and Sohail Anium. Gibbons cited a conflict of interest between the doctors and the now-closed endoscopy center and its owner, Dr. Dipak Desai. The doctors didn’t resign immediately. Anium and McBride’s terms run until mid-2009 while Anwar’s term doesn’t expire until mid-2011. Gibbons said that if the doctors did not step down on their own, he would seek to have them removed for cause. “I want a Board of Medical Examiners that has members who can participate, who share valuable viewpoints, and can vote on these issues, and I want action to restore public confidence in the state’s health care system.”
Gibbons also asked for the resignation of Tony Clark, the Board’s executive director. Gibbons felt he “should have taken swift action in the face of this crisis and he did not do his job.” Clark refused, saying he would instead follow the direction of the Board, which by state law would decide whether he stays or goes.
In recent days, Governor Gibbons has defended the Endoscopy Center, insisting that if the doctors and nurses had been grossly negligent, more than six patients would have been infected with hepatitis C. He stated to the Reno Gazette-Journal that in a normal population, if 1.8 percent has hepatitis C, with 40,000 people being in danger, “we should’ve found at least, what, 700 people with hepatitis C.” The governor failed to mention the thousands whose test results are still pending.
And even though nurses who were formerly associated with the Endoscopy Center have told investigators that they did reuse syringes as a cost-cutting move, the governor says, “There was no single vial of medication reused. There were no reused needles.” His recent stance is in direct conflict with previous statements that “criminal charges should be brought against Dr. Desai and others if they put the public at risk.”
The Las Vegas health crisis sparked a massive alert by the Southern Nevada Health District, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the state Bureau of Licensure and Certification. The bureau is presently investigating all 50 of the state’s surgical centers that perform outpatient procedures such as colonoscopies.
“We are critically concerned about the health care of the citizens of Nevada. This is why we are taking such action,” said Gibbons. So far, health inspectors have found unsafe public health practices at six other clinics. However, none of them are linked to disease transmission.
