Staff, patients to undergo tests for tuberculosis

BOSTON – Health officials here on Friday began screening workers and patients for tuberculosis as they investigated how a doctor in surgical training continued working in four area hospitals with the disease.

Officials are contacting patients who came in contact with the woman and are requiring testing for employees who had close contact while the woman worked at Boston Medical Center, the Veterans Affairs hospital’s West Roxbury campus, Brockton Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital.

Authorities said Thursday that the surgical resident was contagious for six months and may have exposed more than 2,000 patients at the hospitals. Officials said the risk of transmission to patients and employees was low.

Dr. Michael Charness, chief of staff at the VA Boston Health Care System, said the health care facilities are reviewing their procedures to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

“As this is analyzed by each institution, we recognize that there are aspects to our surveillance and tracking that could be improved,” he said. “We will tighten up our systems.”

According to a memo prepared by the Department of Veterans Affairs for members of Congress, the surgical resident contracted TB sometime between June 2003 and June 2004.