FEATURED IN NEWS
- Dozens Hurt When Indiana School Buses Crash
- National EMS Memorial Bike Ride Holds First West Coast Ride
- REACH Air Medical Services Takes Delivery on New Helicopter
- London Police Investigate Ruthless Killing as Terror Attack
- University of Arizona Student EMS Born from Campus Club
- DeKalb County, Ga., May Privatize Ambulance Service
- 29 Injured in Ohio Bus and Car Crash
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A former radiology technician has pleaded guilty to stealing syringes of painkillers at a Jacksonville hospital and replacing them with syringes contaminated with hepatitis C.
The U.S. Attorney's office said Friday that 48-year-old Steven Beumel tampered with the syringes from 2006 through 2008 while working at the Mayo Clinic branch in Jacksonville. He injected the painkillers and refilled the contaminated syringes with saline.
Epidemiologists from the hospital and public health agencies worked for more than three years to solve the Hepatitis C outbreak and it was eventually linked to Beumel. He was fired and clinic authorities reported him to police.
The clinic tested thousands of patients who were potentially at risk. Two patients were linked to him and one died.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
