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Hepatitis scare

Dr. Dipak Desai, majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, leaves Las Vegas City Hall on March 3. Desai has surrendered his medical license pending the outcome of a state investigation.

Photo by Steve Marcus / Las Vegas Sun

Dr. Dipak Desai, majority owner of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, leaves Las Vegas City Hall on March 3. Desai has surrendered his medical license pending the outcome of a state investigation.

The largest hepatitis outbreak scare in the nation is playing out in Las Vegas, where 50,000 patients at an endoscopy center may have been exposed to infectious diseases because of unhygienic practices.

Share Your Experience

Patients and current or former employees of Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada who wish to share their experiences at the clinic are invited to e-mail Las Vegas Sun health reporter Marshall Allen.

So far, 114 patients have been identified by health authorities as having been potentially infected with hepatitis C at the clinic, which has been shut down — along with five sister clinics in the valley.

Criminal investigations are underway and the state’s medical and nursing boards are investigating the situation, which some nurses say was triggered by the clinic owner’s drive for profit at the expense of patient safety.

Frequently asked questions about the incident

Archive highlights

Voices of reason for health care crisis

Sun, Mar 16, 2008

In the midst of the largest hepatitis C scare in the nation’s history, many Nevadans have lost confidence in their health care providers. About 40,000 people have been told they ...

Assembly-line colonoscopies at clinic described

Sun, Mar 9, 2008

If you want to get a sense of the rushed medical procedures that patients encountered inside the clinic that triggered the unprecedented hepatitis scare, consider Duke Breuer’s experience. After undergoing ...

How hepatitis probe led to clinic

Sun, Mar 2, 2008

There was no cause for alarm when, on Dec. 4, health investigators learned of a case of acute hepatitis C.

All stories

Clinic sues doctor over alleged misconduct

Mon, Jun 1, 2009

A clinic that was shut down during the 2008 endoscopy scare in Las Vegas is now suing an anesthesiologist, claiming his alleged misconduct is responsible for the closure of the ...

Judge to decide on confidentiality order status

Sat, May 9, 2009

Plaintiffs’ attorneys in the massive endoscopy litigation filed court papers this week asking a judge to lift a year-old confidentiality order that has kept key depositions under wraps.

Legislative panel approves medical malpractice bill

Fri, Apr 10, 2009

CARSON CITY – By an 8-6 vote, an Assembly committee approved a bill to allow patients who are victims of gross medical negligence to sue for unlimited pain and suffering ...

Lawyers try to get hepatitis trials moved to Carson City

Thu, Apr 9, 2009

A year ago Dr. Dipak Desai wasted little time hiring a well-connected public relations firm to help him drum up favorable publicity in a growing hepatitis scare linked to his ...

A push for open outbreak litigation

Wed, Apr 8, 2009

Southern Nevadans and their lawmakers are eager to learn as much as possible about failing to prevent last year’s hepatitis C outbreak. But massive litigation over the outbreak has been ...

Third federal report stems from Las Vegas hepatitis C outbreak

Fri, Mar 27, 2009

A new federal report released today highlights the need for nationwide data and spot checks on ambulatory surgical centers similar to a Las Vegas endoscopy center that infected eight people ...

Hepatitis outbreak spurs moves to toughen regulation

Sun, Mar 1, 2009

The history of health care in Las Vegas can be divided into two eras: the one before last year’s hepatitis C outbreak and the one after it.

Deadline spurs endoscopy lawsuits

Sat, Feb 28, 2009

As many as 5,000 former patients caught up in last year’s hepatitis scare are suing the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada and its related clinics in what is regarded as ...

Nevada to serve as pilot state for injection safety

Tue, Feb 10, 2009

A hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas last year led to the discovery of a troubling lack of infection control standards in outpatient clinics nationwide.

Officials: Hepatitis outbreak highlighted need for changes

Wed, Feb 4, 2009

CARSON CITY – The state’s Health Division was ill prepared to deal with the hepatitis outbreak in Las Vegas last year, so it is asking the Legislature to give it ...

Infection reporting on the rise in valley

Sat, Jan 24, 2009

The number of suspected infections reported by Southern Nevada health care providers has increased significantly in recent months, probably because they are more vigilant after last year’s hepatitis C crisis, ...

New health study focuses on hepatitis spread

Tue, Jan 6, 2009

In the past 10 years, more than 60,000 patients across the United States were asked to go for tests for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus because health care ...

Clinic reports lapses in disinfection

Wed, Dec 31, 2008

An outpatient surgery center has notified state authorities that it failed to properly disinfect instruments it uses during procedures, state health officials said Tuesday.

State fines providers, says more to come

Mon, Dec 22, 2008

Saying that the hepatitis outbreak at the beginning of the year taught them a painful lesson, officials are hitting Nevada health care providers with much larger fines for breaking rules ...

Medical board takes actions against three doctors

Tue, Dec 2, 2008

The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners on Monday suspended the licenses of two Las Vegas physicians, Dr. Stephen Seldon and Dr. Randall Foster. The board also announced today that ...

Videos

IBTV: Jon Ralston:  Now That's Juice
IBTV: Jon Ralston: Now That's Juice
The owners of the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada must forfeit their business license and ...
Face to Face: Done Deal
Face to Face: Done Deal
The City of Las Vegas hearing into the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada was a ...
Endoscopy Public Comment
Endoscopy Public Comment
The massive hepatitis C scare is a defining moment in Nevada health care, for doctors, ...
Endoscopy Patient Reacts
Endoscopy Patient Reacts
Arnold “Duke” Breuer of Las Vegas went to a Quest laboratory Monday to have a ...
Hepatitis Scare Roundtable
Hepatitis Scare Roundtable
The Sun invited four experts to sit around a table and hold a conversation about ...
A Professional Approach
A Professional Approach
Senior epidemiologist Brian Labus shares his professional approach to the largest hepatitis C scare in ...

Slideshows

Endoscopy Center hearing
At a City Hall hearing Monday, attorneys representing the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada appealed ...