The Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, located in Medford, Oregon, is currently facing serious investigations following allegations that a former nurse substituted fentanyl in IVs with tap water. This action is suspected to have potentially led to as many as ten patient deaths.
The hospital authorities notified law enforcement in December 2023 about their suspicions that an employee might have illicitly taken the medication that was subsequently swapped.
Various hospital reports suggest that as many as ten patients lost their lives due to infections connected to this incident.
The sequence of these events might have started earlier than initially believed. The first suspected death might have taken place as far back as November 2022. This theory correlates with a noted rise in infections in the hospital’s intensive care unit over the past two years, which could be linked to the usage of tap water.
Among the victims are 36-year-old Samuel Allison, who succumbed to an infection after receiving treatment for liver failure, and 74-year-old Barry Samsten, who met a similar end.
Both families were informed by the hospital that the cause of the infections was the substitution of their pain medication with non-sterile tap water. The bacteria in non-sterile tap water, even when it is drinkable, can cause serious infections in patients on central-line IVs.
The claims are being investigated by the Medford Police Department, led by Lt. Geoff Kirkpatrick. However, it is yet to be confirmed if the deaths directly resulted from the suspected theft or tampering of medication.
Lauren Van Sickle, the spokeswoman for Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, expressed the hospital’s concern over the allegations and assured full cooperation with the police.
Additionally, the Oregon Health Authority is conducting a separate investigation into these infections associated with healthcare and their possible connection to the deaths.
The full extent of the incident, including the identification of all impacted patients, remains under investigation. As of now, no arrests have been made in relation to the case.
