Portland, Ore. – October 24, 2012 -- Questions continue to arise throughout Portland about the national meningitis outbreak. Local patients can rest assured that Adventist Health facilities in Portland have never received medications from the compounding center being investigated as the source of the meningitis outbreak.
"The health and well-being of our community is our number one focus," states Janice Hogue, RPh, director of Pharmacy Services at Adventist Medical Center. “We want to help reduce anxiety or worry by providing facts about the national issue. Meningitis refers to inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with state and local health departments and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a multistate fungal meningitis outbreak among patients who received contaminated steroid injections. The investigation includes fungal infections associated with injections in a peripheral joint, such as a knee, shoulder or ankle. Interim data show that all infected patients received injection with a steroid medication prepared by New England Compounding Center, located in Framingham, MA.
Unfortunately, several patients suffered strokes that are believed to have resulted from their infections. More than 300 cases have been reported resulting in 24 deaths spanning 18 states.
Adventist Health facilities in Portland have never purchased medication from this compounding center. Implicated product was not shipped to Oregon. However, it was shipped to several of our neighboring states, including Idaho, Nevada, and California.
For continued information about the situation, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis.html
About Adventist Medical Center (AMC)
Adventist Medical Center (AMC), located in southeast Portland, is a nonprofit, 302-bed acute care facility, offering a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services throughout the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. It is home to Adventist Health-Portland which includes more than 30 primary care and specialty clinics in the metro area.
Adventist Medical Center is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system with nearly 21,000 employees serving communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist health values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 19 hospitals, more than 135 clinics (rural health and physician clinics), 14 home care agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. We invite you to visit AdventistHealth.org for more information.
