Canton Man Identified in Multistate Hepatitis C Outbreak Worked at Michigan Hospital

At least one Michigan hospital has been named in an investigation into an outbreak of hepatitis C involving eight states.

Former hospital worker to 30 patients in Exeter, NH, by stealing their medication to get high, according to Exeter Patch.

Kwiatkowski worked at several hospitals across the country, including Oakwood Annapolis in Wayne, where he worked from Jan. 2007 to Sept. 2007, and is believed to have been employed by other hospitals in Michigan, according to Paula Rivera-Kerr, manager of media relations at in Trenton.

Rivera-Kerr said there is no indication Kwiatkowski had hepatitis C during his employment with Oakwood Health Systems or that any patients contracted the disease as a result of his employment.

Rivera-Kerr added Kwiatkowski participated in at least two drug tests while working for Oakwood, both of which showed negative results for illicit drug use.

"Public health investigations are under way in multiple states, including Michigan," Rivera-Kerr said. "We are committed to ensuring the safety of our staff and patients and we are cooperating fully with authorities in this matter."

CNN erroneously stated Kwiatkowski had worked at Oakwood Southshore Medical Center in Trenton in previous reports, according to Rivera-Kerr.

Angela Minicuci, public information officer at the Michigan Department of Community Health, said the MDHC cannot confirm the details of Kwiatkowski's employment history due to the ongoing investigation.

"We are currently working with Michigan facilities to confirm employment history and will determine next steps based upon our findings from there, including any actions that may need to be taken for patient safety purposes," Minicuci said. " "In consultation with these facilities, we anticipate finalizing that list within the next several days, at which point public notification and any accompanying recommendations will occur."

Exeter Patch reported New Hampshire health officials identified about 7,200 Exeter Hospital patients who should be tested for the disease after possibly being exposed to it. Hundreds more—at least—will likely be tested in the seven other states Kwiatkowski worked at.

Kwiatkowski, whom New Hampshire prosecutors said knew he had hepatitis C as early as June 2010, was a "traveler" who did technical work in several states.

Prosecutors said Kwiatkowski would shoot himself up with syringes full of powerful narcotics such as Fentanyl and then replace the needles with a solution to make it look as if they were untouched. The tainted needles were then used on unsuspecting patients. The tactic is known as "drug diversion,” according to Exeter Patch.

CNN identified the following hospitals Kwiatkowski has worked at (his dates of employment are in parentheses):

• Houston Medical Center in Warner Robins, GA (Oct. 2010 to March 2011)
• Hays Medical Center in Hays, KS (May 2010 to Sept. 2010)
• Maryland General Hospital in Baltimore, MD (Jan. 2010 to March 2010)
• Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD (July 2009 to Jan. 2010)
• Southern Maryland Hospital in Clinton, MD (Dec. 2008 to Feb. 2009)
• Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Baltimore, MD (May 2008 to Nov. 2008)
• Saint Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY (Nov. 2007 to Feb. 2008)

Health officials also said Kwiatkowski worked at hospitals in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Rivera-Kerr said all questions regarding the incident should be forwarded to the Michigan Department of Community Health.

A representative of the Michigan Department of Community Health could not be reached for comment.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE (Most recent update at top)

• Exeter Police Praised for Hepatitis C Arrest

*CORRECTION: A previous version of this article indicated the Associated Press as a source for Kwiatkowski's work history. That was not the case and removed from the article.