Colorado officials will review a previously rejected proposal to license and oversee surgical technicians in the wake of an apparent employee-caused hepatitis C outbreak.
Health officials are asking whether such license oversight could have at least slowed suspect Kristen Diane Parker from jumping to a job at Audubon Surgery Center in Colorado Springs after getting fired by Rose Medical Center.
Parker has told police investigators that she diverted drugs — stole drugs meant for patients — at Audubon as well as Rose, and 1,000 patients from Audubon are being tested for Parker’s hepatitis-C strain in addition to 4,700 at Rose.
A central database of discipline problems became even more attractive late last week, when officials said Parker had also been fired from a New York hospital in 2008 for reasons not yet completely disclosed. Audubon said it had checked Parker’s references, including the New York hospital, and did not know of any firings.
“What regulation could have done in this instance was prevent the employment of the person at the second facility,” said Ned Calonge, chief medical officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Doctors, nurses and other professionals can have licenses and rights to practice immediately suspended by the state if allegations are serious and arrive with evidence. A potential employer could see that action in an existing public database.
Licensing and discipline of health-care professionals is under the Department of Regulatory Agencies. Executive Director Rico Munn said, “I’ve instructed our staff to take a look at whether some kind of regulation of surgical technicians would enhance consumer protection.”
Munn said he doesn’t know if more regulation “would have changed anything that happened here. So we’re looking at it, we’re concerned and would like an answer.”
A request for regulating a new category of employees has to come from outside DORA, which under state law opens a “sunrise” assessment of pros and cons. The legislature then has final say.
A group of surgery assistants asked to be licensed and regulated in 2004. The department’s review at the time concluded:
• Not regulating surgical assistants had not “resulted in significant harm to Colorado consumers.”
• Surgical responsibilities vary widely, and many different kinds of employees perform similar surgical functions.
• Licensing creates monopolies and fails to recognize overlapping skills and abilities.
Michael Booth: 303-954-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com
