Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Oregon, is under intense scrutiny after allegations surfaced that a former nurse replaced fentanyl in IVs with tap water, potentially leading to as many as ten patient fatalities.
Hospital officials alerted police in December 2023 that they believed an employee could have stolen the medication that had been swapped.
Varied reports from hospital sources indicate that up to ten patients died due to infections linked to this incident.
The timeline of the events could extend further back than at first thought, with the first suspected death potentially occurring as early as November 2022. This aligns with an observed increase in infections in the intensive care unit over the past two years, potentially linked to tap water use.
Among the victims are Samuel Allison, 36, who died from an infection after being treated for liver failure, and Barry Samsten, 74, who faced a similar fate.
Both families were informed by the hospital that the infections were due to the replacement of their pain medication with non-sterile tap water. Even in clean, drinkable water, bacteria can cause infections in patients on IVs if the water is not sterile.
The Medford Police Department, spearheaded by Lt. Geoff Kirkpatrick, is investigating the claims, although they have yet to confirm if the deaths were a direct result of the medication theft or tampering.
Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center’s spokeswoman, Lauren Van Sickle, expressed the hospital’s distress over the allegations and assured full cooperation with law enforcement.
The Oregon Health Authority is also conducting a parallel investigation into these healthcare-associated infections and their possible link to the deaths.
The full scope of the incident, including the identification of all affected patients, remains under investigation, and no arrests have been made to date.