Hepatitis C outbreak: Former Mayo Clinic worker pleads guilty in contamination cases

[Baitball Blogger]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A former Jacksonville radiology technician has pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing syringes of painkillers during patients' procedures and replacing them with syringes of saline contaminated with Hepatitis C.

The U.S. Attorney's office said Friday that 48-year-old Steven Beumel tampered with the syringes from 2006 through 2008 while working at the Mayo Clinic branch in Jacksonville.

Epidemiologists from the hospital and public health agencies worked for more than three years to solve the Hepatitis C outbreak and it was eventually linked to Beumel. He was fired and clinic authorities reported him to police.

The clinic tested thousands of patients who were potentially at risk. Two patients from that testing effort were linked to Beumel and one died.


http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-05-11/news/os-syringes-hepatitis-c-death-mayo-clinic-20120511_1_hepatitis-c-outbreak-mayo-clinic-syringes

[malaise]

1. WTF??

Why do this sociopaths work in hospitals?

[PotatoChip]

2. That is one sick bastard.

I hope he gets a hefty jail sentence (if found guilty).

What could possibly motivate someone to do such a thing? Wtf?

[kestrel91316]

4. He was stealing syringes of painkillers. There's your "why".

[PotatoChip]

6. I 'get' that part (I guess)

Addicts will do things like that. Or maybe he's selling the painkillers. Not that I approve, but I 'get' it.

What I don't understand is the other part. Adding the Hep C, I mean. Seriously, was that at all necessary?

Truly a kind of thing.

[Blue_Tires]

3. what's the max sentence he could get?

[Horse with no Name]

5. So somehow a serial killer got in an RT program

This shouldn't reflect on the profession at all.

But...I hope he goes to prison. For a very long time.