As you know by now, Nevada is at the center of
the largest Hepatitis C scare in our nation’s history. More than 40,000 people
were notified in late February that they were at risk of contracting Hepatitis
C, Hepatitis B, or HIV after being treated at the Endoscopy Center of Southern
Nevada. A preliminary investigation by the Southern Nevada Health District
revealed that the clinic endangered many of our family and friends by reusing
syringes and single-use medication vials. We recently learned that other clinics
in Nevada engaged in similarly dangerous practices.
Upon learning about this crisis, I convened a
number of meetings involving state and local health officials, members of the
Nevada Congressional Delegation, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. I was particularly impressed by the swift
response by Dr. Larry Sands and the staff at the Southern Nevada Health
District, by Nevada Health and Human Services Director MikeWillden’s team and by
Dr. Gerberding and the staff at the CDC.
Moving forward, I am committed to continuing to
work with federal, state and local officials to ensure Nevadans have the
resources and the support they need to address the immediate crisis at hand, and
to prevent a similar threat to patient safety from occurring again in the
future. To that end, I am working to secure a total of $26 million in federal
funding requested of me by the Southern Nevada Health District and the CDC in a
supplemental funding bill that will be considered by the Congress later this
month. These funds would allow the Southern Nevada Health District to cover key
expenses related to this crisis, including blood tests for the uninsured and
underinsured, management of medical records, maintenance of the public hotline
and patient education materials. The funding would also allow the CDC – our
nation’s lead agency for research and programs that prevent healthcare-related
infections – to continue to help contain the current threat in Nevada. It would
allow the CDC to work to uncover, eliminate, and prevent similar patient safety
threats so this situation is never repeated.
It is clear this crisis touches all Nevadans,
even those not treated at one of these clinics. We are all shaken by these
unsafe practices that should never have happened. Everyone should continue to
follow their doctors’ orders, but the CDC encourages all patients to ask their
doctors these basic, but potentially life-saving questions before receiving
medical treatment:
-
Did you wash your hands?
-
Is that a new needle?
-
Is that a fresh syringe?
-
Are you drawing from a
single-use vial? If so, has it been used before?
For more information on questions to ask before
receiving care, I urge Nevadans to visit my newly redesigned Web site at
reid.senate.gov, or to call 702-759-INFO.
Everyone in the Silver State deserves to access
to high quality health care. I will continue to work with local, state, and
federal health care officials to do everything possible to eliminate any chance
of something like this happening in the future.
Get Your
Rebate, File Your Taxes
While most of us dread Tax
Day, this year should be a little less painful. That’s because earlier this
year Congress passed the Economic Stimulus Package of 2008. The centerpiece of
this legislation will place hundreds of dollars into the hands of more than 130
million hard-working American families struggling with the high costs of gas,
groceries and housing. The hope is that people will spend this money, which
would help jumpstart our slowing economy. More than 1.1 million Nevadans are
eligible to receive checks, but you must file your taxes to get yours. For more
information, please
click here.
