Vancouver hospital patients at risk of hepatitis C

VANCOUVER, Wash. — More than 900 former patients of a Vancouver hospital are advised to be tested for hepatitis C because they may have been exposed to the disease by a former employee suspect of diverting drugs for personal use.

Clark County Public Health and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center mailed certified letters Monday to 936 former patients. The hospital is apologizing and offering to pay for the tests.

The Columbian reports PeaceHealth began the investigation after it learned of the drug diversion and discovered one of the employee’s patients was diagnosed with the blood-borne liver disease.

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