Mayo tells more than 3,000 patients of possible Hepatitis C infection

The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., will send out letters to 3,209 patients who may have been infected with Hepatitis C by a former employee, said the hospital's CEO at a news conference Thursday.

Mayo fired the former employee--later identified by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office as Steven Beumel--last week for stealing pain medication intended for patients and putting them at risk. Patients who were in contact with Beumel since his hiring in 2004 will receive regular and certified letters stating that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis C and explaining how to get tested for infection, Mayo Clinic Florida CEO Dr. William Rupp told reporters.

The hospital system will offer three free-of-charge testing options for the at-risk patients. They can be tested on Mayo premises, at their own residences, or at other testing sites.

Mayo also will ask those patients to take HIV and Hepatitis B tests as protocol, even though Beumel has tested negative for the two viruses.

Patients who don't respond to the letters will receive a follow-up phone call, noted Rupp. "Mayo Clinic will do whatever is necessary to support the needs of our patients."

According to the CEO, there have been five cases where patients arrived at Mayo Clinic not having hepatitis C, but were infected with it when they left, notes First Coast News. Three of those cases have been linked to Beumel.

The actions of the former radiology technologist are now under comprehensive criminal investigation, the hospital said in statement. He has been charged with fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance. Mayo has been "cooperating completely" with authorities, noted Rupp.

For more:
- read the First Coast News article
- here's Mayo's update on the Hepatitis C scare 

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