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SimplySpaztastic

The above average, average girl
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Swedish Medical Center is looking into a possible drug diversion or the stealing of narcotic pain medication intended for patients by a former employee, the hospital announced Wednesday afternoon.

The medical center would not confirm the identity of the employee but said the surgical technician was removed immediately after the alleged suspicious activity came to light.

The surgical technician's actions might have put some surgery patients at risk for exposure to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C viruses.

The medical center said there is no evidence of any patient exposure, but it will be taking a position of extreme caution by offering free and confidential testing to all patients who had surgery during the term of the former worker's employment, including days the employee was not on the schedule or in the facility.

According to medical licensing records, the former employee is Rocky Elbert Allen. He was a surgical technician at Swedish Hospital until Jan. 22, when he allegedly switched out a surgical patient's intravenous narcotic to inject himself, and then might have placed the needle back into circulation.

Police said Allen is still at large. FOX31 Denver's Justin Joseph visited him at his house to talk to him about the allegations.

Approximately 2,900 patients who had surgery at Swedish Medical Center between Aug. 17 and Jan. 22 are receiving calls and letters to notify them of the potential for exposure, and to request that they take a free, confidential blood test to screen for the viruses.

“We deeply regret that one of our former employees may have put patients at risk, and are sorry for any uncertainty or anxiety this may cause,” said Richard Hammett, president and CEO of Swedish Medical Center. “Please know our first concern is the health, care, safety and privacy of our patients and we are working diligently to look after the well-being of the patients who may have been affected by the wrongful actions of this individual.”

Swedish Medical Center said only patients who had surgery during the time frame of the surgical technician's employment might be at risk. All other patients are not at risk and are asked not to call the patient care line.

Swedish Medical Center said it is working closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as well as law enforcement and several regulatory agencies.

Police said they are still investigating to see if a crime was committed.
http://kdvr.com/2016/02/03/swedish-...sible-drug-diversion-patients-may-be-at-risk/
 
I have no Idea how a surgical tech has access to controlled substances before or during a procedure. This is 100% the fault of the anesthesia provider, as these drugs should never be left unattended.

I guarantee they'll never imply that physicans had any culpability here.
 
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All I'm going to say is fuck Swedish Medical Center. I would rather go ANYWHERE but Swedish. Honestly, and totally serious, I've lost a few friends at Swedish, during "routine procedures."

Swedish is where my fear of hospitals comes from, and that was LONG BEFORE this.. Nope. Not going there.
 
I have no Idea how a surgical tech has access to controlled substances before or during a procedure. This is 100% the fault of the anesthesia provider, as these drugs should never be left unattended.

I guarantee they'll never imply that physicans had any culpability here.
I read this to understand he pulled their iv apart and put it in a port in himself, then returned the iv back to the patients.
 
I read this to understand he pulled their iv apart and put it in a port in himself, then returned the iv back to the patients.
Usually syringes are drawn up and labelled with their contents, when this happens in an OR setting they are usually left unattended and the offender injects the contents of the syringe and then refills the same syringe with saline and places it back on the tray where it was left.
 
Usually syringes are drawn up and labelled with their contents, when this happens in an OR setting they are usually left unattended and the offender injects the contents of the syringe and then refills the same syringe with saline and places it back on the tray where it was left.
Okay, that makes more sense. I was half asleep and making assumptions.

When I was in the hospital, I had an iv that I pushed a button when I needed pain meds. I didn't like it. I kept asking for pain pills. I had a roommate on the other side of a curtain, she said she would give me $20 if I let her plug it into her iv.
Later that day, I had to go for a test and the nurse unhooked everything and wanted to leave it in the room.
I got upset and told her what the roommate wanted. The nurse said even if she did, it wouldn't expose me to anything.
Ummmmm sorry, not taking any chances. The iv pole is going with me or I'm not letting you replug it in.
This was a horrible hospital. Many times I had to remind the nurses to change gloves after doing something with the other roommate. Like the gloves were only for the nurses protection!!!
The transport took me for my test, on my way back, I said just stop right here, I'm going out the door for a smoke. I picked up the blanket that was folded on the wheel chair and sat on the bench. When I got done and ready to GI back, I picked the blanket up and unfolded it to wrap around me. The inside was full of shit. Yes, that's right full of shit. Instead of using a new blanket for each person, the nasty mother fucker just folded it.
I felt lucky to have left there alive.
After being home a few days, my head was itchy and guess what? Head lice.
So healthcare isn't so healthy at some hospitals.
My dad had to have an emergency 4 bypass heart surgery while on vacation in Utah. Some time he got hepc . he was not a drug user and hadn't had sex in years. The only place he could have gotten it was there. In a blood transfushion. He didn't know he had it so it went untreated for a long time.
How is that possible in 2004 when tests are supposed to be done on the blood. Were they saving money by not testing, laziness, or something like this case?
Any more, I have to be close to death before I will go to a hospital.
 
What a nasty motherfucker. I couldn't be the one getting news like this. Doesn't this constitute gross negligence? I'd be all kinds of emotionally fucked up after this shit. Ugh.
 
Terroristic activity with a biological weapon. Lethally inject him with a dirty needle. Poetic justice.

The tech had 3 different viruses. He was dying. Why not take as many people as he could with him?! Premeditated murder.
 
Terroristic activity with a biological weapon. Lethally inject him with a dirty needle. Poetic justice.

The tech had 3 different viruses. He was dying. Why not take as many people as he could with him?! Premeditated murder.

Lots of IV drug users have HIV and Hep B and C. Plenty of them have a few more alphabets on top of those. But if you told them they were dying they would look at you like you're crazy. I can't even count how many times I've heard, "Everybody has HIV and Hep."
 
At first I thought I was reading another article about my sister in law, then saw this one's about a dude named Rocky.

My cunt SIL has been known to dig patients' pain med patches out of the trash to chew on them. That's how she lost her nursing license. Twice.

She's gonna OD on something one of these days.
 
All I'm going to say is fuck Swedish Medical Center. I would rather go ANYWHERE but Swedish. Honestly, and totally serious, I've lost a few friends at Swedish, during "routine procedures."

Swedish is where my fear of hospitals comes from, and that was LONG BEFORE this.. Nope. Not going there.
Worse than Denver General? Now that place is scary! :nailbiting:

One of my good friends worked at Swedish for over a year. He was pretty freaked out when he heard about this.

On a side note, if you want an example of a fantastic hospital, St. Anthony's Summit Medical Center in Frisco is fantastic. I was in the hospital for nearly two weeks once and the time was split between Summit and St. Joe's in Denver. Like night and day... Summit felt like I was staying at the Ritz compared to when I was transferred to St. Joe's. Bluck!
 
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when he allegedly switched out a surgical patient's intravenous narcotic to inject himself, and then might have placed the needle back into circulation.

That's so fucking disgusting...how is this sewer of a person even employed at a hospital.

said the surgical technician was removed immediately after the alleged suspicious activity came to light.

I want to know how he was caught,..that statement about alleged suspicious activity is pretty vague, did they find him on the floor doing the nod with a patients IV in his arm or what?
 
The apartment where we're staying is within walking distance of what appears to be a brand new hospital affiliated with Scott & White (which used to have a pretty stellar reputation). We found our pretty quickly that it's staffed with uncaring idiots from the experiences of others. My d-i-l had to take the 4-yr-old to their ER the other night when her fever spiked. They did no tests whatsoever and came back and told her the child has a stomach problem just because she had thrown up once the first day she got sick. I forget now what they diagnosed her with, but it was so far off track that it was not even funny. The other stories we heard about were much worse than ours.
 
Usually syringes are drawn up and labelled with their contents, when this happens in an OR setting they are usually left unattended and the offender injects the contents of the syringe and then refills the same syringe with saline and places it back on the tray where it was left.

Thank you for explaining the mechanics of that.

Can you tell us why they would worry about people who had had surgery during the time he worked there even on days when he was not at work, too?
 
Thank you for explaining the mechanics of that.

Can you tell us why they would worry about people who had had surgery during the time he worked there even on days when he was not at work, too?
The only reason I can think of is that the hospital is just doing damage control and wants to put everyone's mind at ease.

I suppose it's possible that he could have found a way to compromise sterile packaging on the needles, use them and place them back in the wrapper so it might go unnoticed that it had been opened, but then he would have had access to the drugs too. In the OR, all the controlled substances should always be under control of the anesthesia provider and should never be left unattended, although we've seen it happen on this site before.

http://www.dreamindemon.com/communi...ugs-infecting-thirty-people-with-hep-c.57441/

http://www.dreamindemon.com/communi...ay-have-exposed-thousands-to-hepatitis.22060/
 
Worse than Denver General? Now that place is scary! :nailbiting:

One of my good friends worked at Swedish for over a year. He was pretty freaked out when he heard about this.

On a side note, if you want an example of a fantastic hospital, St. Anthony's Summit Medical Center in Frisco is fantastic. I was in the hospital for nearly two weeks once and the time was split between Summit and St. Joe's in Denver. Like night and day... Summit felt like I was staying at the Ritz compared to when I was transferred to St. Joe's. Bluck!

I WOULD PREFER DENVER HEALTH (FORMERLY DENVER GENERAL) TO SWEDISH- AND DENVER HEALTH EMERGENCY ROOM GIVES ME ANXIETY TO THINK ABOUT, not even as a patient--- as a visitor!

FUCK SWEDISH. YIKES.
 
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I WOULD PREFER DENVER HEALTH (FORMERLY DENVER GENERAL) TO SWEDISH- AND DENVER HEALTH EMERGENCY ROOM GIVES ME ANXIETY TO THINK ABOUT, not even as a patient--- as a visitor!

FUCK SWEDISH. YIKES.
So I'm getting the subtle impression you maybe don't like Swedish too much. ;) Maybe you should get one of those medical bracelets, but instead of listing health alerts it can say "No matter what, do NOT take me to Swedish!" :nurse:

I actually have zero experience with them personally, but I'll take your word for it. I also haven't been to Denver Health since they called it Denver General, but the crazies in the waiting area of the ER certainly made a lasting impression. Just the kind of people you want to be stuck next to as you bleed out. :wacky::confused:
 
KUSA – Sources tell 9NEWS that the DEA is helping the FDA investigate a case at Swedish Medical Center that involves the possible diversion of drugs by a former employee.

This comes after roughly 2,900 people who had surgery at the hospital over the past five months learned that they needed to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

The now-former surgical technician who is accused of switching syringes at Swedish has been identified as Rocky Allen. The 28-year-old has been registered to practice as a surgical technologist in Colorado since 2015.

According to state records, on Jan. 22, 2016, Allen allegedly removed a syringe from the top of a work space and replaced the syringe with another syringe. The syringe was on a container of Fentanyl. Fentanyl is used as part of anesthesia to help prevent pain after surgery or other medical procedure and is extremely addictive.

Swedish could not confirm the contents of the replacement syringe, citing the ongoing criminal investigation into the matter.

After this switch was discovered, authorities tested Allen and found he tested positive for Fentanyl and marijuana.

Swedish is contacting patients that hospital officials believe could have been exposed to the diseases. All of those patients had surgery at the hospital between Aug. 17, 2015 and Jan. 22, 2016.

The hospital tried to make it clear that it is also a victim in this case.

"This incident is about the brazen theft of drugs," said Dr. Matthew Fleishman, speaking for Swedish Medical Center. "In the operating room, the suspect syringe was identified. It was confiscated. It was not used in the case and the patient was not exposed."

Fleishman added that there is no evidence of any infection among patients at this time and could not share whether Allen's blood has been tested for the diseases, citing federal health privacy laws.

However, the positive test for Fentanyl reported by state officials is a red flag that this may have been going on for a while before the Jan. 22 incident.
http://www.9news.com/mb/news/federal-probe-underway-in-swedish-hospital-case/40664797
[doublepost=1455302775,1455256411][/doublepost]This fucker is gone with the wind

KUSA - The now-former surgical technician who is accused of switching syringes at Swedish Hospital has left Colorado, according to 9NEWS sources.

Federal authorities are trying to find 28-year-old Rocky Allen to speak to him about the ongoing investigation.

Allen has been registered to practice as a surgical technologist in Colorado since 2015.

This comes after roughly 2,900 people who had surgery at the hospital over the past five months learned that they needed to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

http://www.9news.com/mb/news/crime/surgical-tech-involved-in-swedish-issue-skips-town/41349173
 
I have no Idea how a surgical tech has access to controlled substances before or during a procedure. This is 100% the fault of the anesthesia provider, as these drugs should never be left unattended.



I guarantee they'll never imply that physicans had any culpability here.

I work in Healthcare and one time we transfered $500K in narcotics from one vehicle to another on a gas station parking lot. You'd be surprised the shit that goes down.
 
I work in Healthcare and one time we transfered $500K in narcotics from one vehicle to another on a gas station parking lot. You'd be surprised the shit that goes down.
I'd be surprised if there was a surgical tech or a patient involved in the transaction! Lol
 
Oh wow! Just holy fucking wow!!!

A surgical technologist accused of stealing powerful drugs and putting thousands of Colorado patients at risk was fired from an Arizona hospital two years ago for testing positive for a controlled substance.

John C. Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Phoenix told Denver7 that Rocky Allen, 28, worked there as a surgical tech from July 28 to Sept. 26, 2014.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the hospital said Allen "was terminated for violation of workplace policy when he tested positive for use of a controlled substance."

Denver7 wanted to know how Allen was able to leave Arizona and get the same job at Swedish Medical Center in Colorado a little over a year later.

Turns out, it comes back to state regulations or lack of them.

Arizona is one of 39 states that does not regulate surgical technologists or keep any disciplinary records.

Colorado and ten other states do regulate surgical technologists, but Colorado and Washington are the only states that require them to register with Colorado.

While Colorado does have stricter laws than most states, we still rely on somewhat of an honor system for employees to self-report discipline from past employers. Something it sounds like Allen may not have done when filing his paperwork with the state.

Swedish Medical Center fired Allen in January after investigators say he swapped out a medical syringe of Fentanyl and replaced it with another labeled syringe.

As a result, Swedish has asked 2,900 people who underwent surgery there between Aug. 17 and Jan. 22 to get tested for hepatitis B and C and HIV.

Two Arizona hospitals, including John C. Lincoln Memorial, are also offering free blood testing to 97 patients who may have been impacted while Allen worked there.

A spokesperson at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona, confirms Allen worked there in 2014 as well, but won't say why he left.

Denver7 asked Swedish Medical Center about its background check policies when it comes to employees. A spokeswoman was unable to answers our questions citing the ongoing investigation.

It is also not clear if Allen was ever charged for testing positive for a controlled substance in Arizona.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/lif...-after-being-fired-in-another-state-for-drugs
 
I picked the blanket up and unfolded it to wrap around me. The inside was full of shit. Yes, that's right full of shit. Instead of using a new blanket for each person, the nasty mother fucker just folded it.

How did you not smell it?

Denver7 wanted to know how Allen was able to leave Arizona and get the same job at Swedish Medical Center in Colorado a little over a year later.
Turns out, it comes back to state regulations or lack of them.

Even if they had a record of it, it doesn't mean he wouldn't have been hired again. I know of quite a few nurses who got busted with drugs or admitted to drug problems and kept their licenses. There's a shit ton of workarounds and whatnot these fuckers can take advantage of to avoid losing their careers, unfortunately.
 
OhMyGod! I would fucking kill someone!!!

DENVER — The lawyer for two patients who had surgery at Swedish Medical Center said his clients have tested positive for hepatitis.

That information came Tuesday night just hours after Rocky Allen, the former surgical technologist at Swedish Medical Center who is accused of changing syringes and putting thousands of patients at risk for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, was arrested and charged.

“It could have very serious health consequences and would certainly qualify as serious bodily injury,” attorney James Avery said.

Avery represents 14 patients, including one woman and a man who claim surgery at Swedish infected them with the viral infection.

Allen, 28, was indicted on charges of tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit. He appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen Mix.

According to the indictment, Allen tried to remove a syringe containing fentanyl citrate and replace it with a similar syringe with another substance. Allen is also alleged to have knowingly and intentionally acquired fentanyl citrate, a controlled substance, by deception and subterfuge.

Because of that, Swedish Medical Center has asked about 3,000 patientswho had surgery between Aug. 17 and Jan. 22 in the main operating rooms and in the orthopedic operating room on Oct. 28 to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

“This is a case that really needs to be investigated from the standpoint of how did this happen in an operating room supposed to be a sterile environment,” Avery said.

Allen faces one count of tampering with a consumer product, and could be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and fined up to $250,000. He also faces one count of obtaining a controlled substance by deceit and subterfuge.

He was advised of the charges against him and had his rights read to him. Allen then asked for a court-appointed attorney. That lawyer will come from the federal public defender’s office. The judge ordered him held without bond.

His next hearing, an arraignment, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday. If convicted on both counts, he could be sentenced to 14 years in federal prison and fined up to $500,000.

The Department of Justice said in a news release that agents attempted to arrest Allen late last week. That did not happen.

Tuesday morning, Allen turned himself in at an attorney’s office. Federal agents were called and arrested him there. He was taken to the federal courthouse and turned over to the U.S. Marshals for processing.
http://kwgn.com/2016/02/16/ex-surgi...-center-scare-indicted-by-federal-grand-jury/
[doublepost=1455896841,1455719496][/doublepost]Now this fucker wants a bond reduction??!? Seriously???

Hmmmm I bet all the patients he stole drugs from just wanted some pain relief. Fuck this guy.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/new...edical-center-fighting-to-be-released-on-bond
 
So, just because I'm a wee bit confused - I'll ask what might be a stupid question(s).

It's not the one syringe they are worried about, correct? It's many syringes over a long period of time that they are thinking he used, and put back into circulation, correct? The one dyringe they are talking about is what broke the case open??

If that's wrong, please let me know. :)
 
So, just because I'm a wee bit confused - I'll ask what might be a stupid question(s).

It's not the one syringe they are worried about, correct? It's many syringes over a long period of time that they are thinking he used, and put back into circulation, correct? The one dyringe they are talking about is what broke the case open??

If that's wrong, please let me know. :)
Yep. You got it. The one syringe that someone witnessed and reported is what exposed it all. Since there are 2 people who have already tested positive for Hepatitis, I'm thinking this was his ongoing daily fix.
Fucking douchebag. Just gross.
[doublepost=1456204708,1455898946][/doublepost]Well, we are now up to 3 states, and possibly 5,000 patients affected. This just keeps becoming more disturbing.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29547419/nearly-5-000-patients-where-surgical-tech-worked
[doublepost=1464936646][/doublepost]Ohhhhh Nooooooo
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - A surgical technologist accused of swapping needles to steal powerful drugs from Swedish Medical Center has tested positive for HIV, federal officials confirmed Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Justice released the following statement:

"Blood testing released by consent of Rocky Allen has confirmed that federal defendant and former Swedish Medical Center of Colorado (Swedish) employee Rocky Allen carries HIV (subtype B) and that he is negative for Hepatitis B and C. Rocky Allen was a Surgery Technician at Swedish between August 2015 and January 2016. During his employment, he allegedly diverted fentanyl from the facility.

"To address public health concerns, Swedish previously attempted to notify the approximately 3,000 patients potentially affected by Rocky Allen’s conduct, and approximately 2,500 of those patients took advantage of the free medical testing offered by Swedish and were tested for all three blood-borne pathogens; however, approximately 500 of those initially tested did not participate in recommended follow-up testing. To date there have been no reported cases of transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C.

"The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and Swedish strongly encourage those potentially affected patients who have not already done so to avail themselves of the free medical testing offered by Swedish. Specifically, we ask that those patients who have not been tested contact Swedish at 303-788-4646 in order to schedule free testing."
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/new...dish-medical-center-has-hiv-officials-confirm
 
FFS! What a dick head! I hope all of those patients do eventually go in for their follow up testing.
 
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