The Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford is working with law enforcement to investigate allegations that misuse of opioids at the hospital resulted in deadly infections.
According to multiple media reports over the weekend, a number of fatalities may have originated at the Asante hospital in Medford. They describe infections that patients acquired when a nurse replaced the opioid painkiller fentanyl with tap water that was administered to patients at the hospital.
According to the Rogue Valley Times, residents of Grants Pass and Klamath Falls were recently notified that deaths of their family members over the last year and a half were the result of infections they acquired during stays at Asante after a nurse replaced fentanyl with non-sterile tap water.
A spokesperson from Asante declined to comment, but provided the following statement: “We were distressed to learn of this issue. We reported it to law enforcement and are working closely with them.”
Medford Police Department spokesperson Lt. Geoff Kirkpatrick confirmed on Sunday that they are investigating the reports. Kirkpatrick did not provide additional information, including details about potential fatalities caused by hospital infections.
