The state has tentatively linked 27 cases of hepatitis C to a former surgical tech who worked at Rose Medical Center in Denver and Audubon Surgery Center in Colorado Springs, according to a tally released Friday.
Only one of the cases has been definitively linked to Kristen Diane Parker by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is genetically testing each strain to determine whether it came from Parker. Results are pending on the other 26 cases, all but one of which include surgery patients at Rose Medical Center.
Rose is offering free treatment to any of the patients found to have the same strain of the blood disease as Parker, who is accused of stealing liquid painkillers and leaving behind dirty syringes filled with saline that were used on patients.
If the CDC determines some of those hepatitis C cases were not caused by Parker, Rose intends to transfer billing for treatment of those patients to insurance.
So far, 2,214 Rose patients and 1,374 Audubon patients have tested negative for hepatitis C.
Thirty-three Rose patients and nine Audubon patients were found to have a different strain of the virus than Parker, meaning they contracted it some other way.
The hospitals began notifying patients in July about the breach. Parker is facing multiple charges in federal court.
