VA dentist resigns after possibly infecting 600 veterans with HIV and hepatitis [View all]

[WhiteTara]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/12/03/VA-dentist-resigns-after-possibly-infecting-600-veterans-with-HIV-and-hepatitis/1831480788871/

TOMAH, Wis., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- An unidentified Department of Veterans Affairs dentist in Wisconsin resigned after possibly exposing hundreds of patients to HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Officials at Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center announced Friday the dentist, who placed veterans at risk by reusing his tools, resigned after initially moving to an administrative role, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

"Although we cannot prevent the dentist from resigning while administrative actions are pending, we are continuing reporting procedures to the state licensing board and the National Practitioner Data Bank," acting medical director at the center Victoria Brahm said. "We will not stop doing all we can to ensure those responsible for this serious breach of patient trust are held accountable."

The Tomah VA launched an investigation after a fill-in assistant reported the dentist had been using his own medical tools and would clean and reuse them, violating VA rules, according to CNN.

"It was purposeful that he was violating VA regulations," Brahm said. "During all of the orientation, he used our equipment. He used it appropriately, so it was very purposeful from what we found in our investigation that he knew exactly what he was doing, and preferred to use his own equipment against procedure."