Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Ariz., is offering HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing to surgical patients who came in contact with a surgical technician currently under investigation, according to 9 News.
Here are five things to know:
1. The former surgical technician, Rocky Allen, 28, made headlines earlier this month for allegedly switching needles at Swedish Medical Center, prompting a police investigation.
2. A Banner Health spokesperson confirmed Mr. Allen was employed at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center from May 2014 to July 2014. The hospital did not comment why Mr. Allen worked there for a mere six weeks.
3. The DEA and FDA are investigating Mr. Allen for allegedly switching syringes of Fentanyl, a pain medication, on Jan. 22, 2016.
4. Banner Health is in the process of calculating how many inpatient surgical cases Mr. Allen was involved in to determine which patients will get free testing for HIV as well as hepatitis B and C.
5. Swedish Medical Center has so far identified 2,900 patients who need to be tested for the blood borne illnesses.
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