Nearly 300 patients possibly exposed to hepatitis and HIV at Longview hospital

LONGVIEW, Wash. -- Around 260 former patients of PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center are being notified that they may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

The possible exposure was discovered during an internal review of infection-control practices at the Longview hospital.

Hospital administrators said the potential exposure involves patients who were fitted for dental appliances for sleep apnea between Nov. 18, 2013 and Feb. 26, 2016.

Patients who may have been affected were sent notification letters by certified mail. PeaceHealth St. John is offering free testing for those patients.

“I apologize for the concern this might cause our patients, their families and our community,” said Kirk Raboin, chief administrative officer, PeaceHealth St. John. “We take this very seriously. If you’ve received a letter from us, we are offering testing as a precaution, at no charge to you.”

“The likelihood of infection is extremely low,” Raboin said. “Still, we are acting with an abundance of caution because our highest priority is the health and safety of our patients.”

Administrators said to call the PeaceHealth Patient Support Line for more informtation at 1-844-804-7904. They also provided the following resources: