Salem Hospital, a member of Mass General Brigham since 1996, is a Level III Trauma Center that touts itself as the largest healthcare provider on the North Shore of Massachusetts. But for almost two years, the hospital administered intravenous medication improperly, potentially exposing hundreds of patients to HIV and Hepatitis.
Keches Law Group has filed a class action lawsuit against Mass General Brigham, Salem Hospital, and 10 hospital employees on behalf of our client Melinda Cashman, an Amesbury woman who has suffered permanent injuries, additional testing requirements, extreme anxiety, emotional distress, and decreased quality of life due to potential exposure to these infections.
Keches Law Attorney Jonathan Sweet says Cashman and other affected patients had to face the possibility of a life-changing condition because of the hospital’s carelessness.
“Our client deserves to have someone take responsibility for years of negligence,” he says. “We want victims of this tragedy to know that we are fighting for them and that the people who wronged them need to be held accountable.”
What Happened?
Between June 2021 and April 2023, endoscopy patients at Salem Hospital had procedures performed in a manner not consistent with best practices. In a statement, the hospital indicated that nearly 450 patients could potentially have been exposed to HIV or Hepatitis B or C.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health told ABC News it performed an onsite investigation at the hospital and worked with the infection control team to manage the situation.
“DPH advised the hospital to notify all impacted patients in writing about the potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens and to offer free-of-charge follow-up care, including testing,” the department said.
According to ABC News, hospital officials gave no specific details as to how the exposure could have happened or how it was corrected.
The hospital is currently testing for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
What is an Endoscopy?
An endoscopy is a procedure where a tube-like instrument with a camera is put into the body to look inside. There are a wide variety of endoscopy procedures, each designed to look at a different part of the body.
Among others, some endoscopic procedures include bronchoscopies, colonoscopies, gastrointestinal ultrasounds and laparoscopies.
Endoscopies may be performed to investigate symptoms, collect tissue samples for biopsy, or even to treat certain conditions.
What the Lawsuit is Seeking
For almost two full years, hundreds of patients went to Salem Hospital because they needed a valuable and necessary procedure performed, and they put their faith in the professionals at an institution they trusted. Keches Law wants to hold the institution that so badly failed its patients accountable for their actions.
Keches Law wants answers and assurances.
Answers as to how and why this happened for such an extended period of time and why it took so long for the hospital to discover such a catastrophic and ongoing mistake.
Assurances that this will never happen to these or any other patients again.
“The hospital is a place you go to heal. It’s an institution that you put your complete trust in,” says Attorney Jeff Catalano. “For Melinda and all the other victims, what they need now is to see some responsibility taken, so they can all move on, and this kind of thing cannot happen again.”
Contact Keches Law
If you or a loved one was one of the hundreds of victims, contact Keches Law. Let our experienced and knowledgeable attorneys answer your questions and help you take control of the situation.
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