Oregon man 'scared' after learning he may be infected due to hospital error affecting thousands

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After a major health exposure affecting thousands of Oregon patients was announced by the Oregon Health Authority last week, one man is coming forward to say he’s now afraid for his health and his family after receiving notice he may be infected.

This all comes after OHA announced a physician at three local hospitals put patients at risk of infections like HIV and Hepatitis B and C after not following the correct protocols.

“I went in for a normal preventative procedure and I came out saying that I might be infected,” said the man, who agreed to speak with KOIN 6 News on condition of anonymity due to potential health concerns.

The man said he came in for a simple procedure but was left with compounding anxiety and growing questions after Legacy Health sent him two letters regarding his procedure May 15. 

The former Legacy patient shared the letters from the hospital that seemed to have the opposite message. On June 3, they notified him of a possible break in infection control practices during his procedure, while claiming, “this issue does not affect your health."

Then on July 10, he received a second letter from the hospital saying “it is possible that this action may have exposed you to infections.”

"I don't understand how I was first told that there was no danger to me, and now I'm being told, a month and a half later that there is," the man told KOIN 6. "Us patients that were affected by this, we need to know what's going on."

He is just one of more than 2,400 Oregon patients now being notified that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis B and C as well as HIV. OHA said this happened after an unnamed physician was involved in procedures requiring intravenous anesthesia at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center and Legacy Health Mt. Hood and did not follow protocols correctly. He’s since been terminated with Oregon Anesthesiology Group after working at the two locations from 2017-2024.

“I’m scared for my health. Obviously, I’m scared for my family’s health, that may have been exposed now. And I’m concerned that they may have known this for since the end of May, beginning of June,” the man said.

KOIN 6 News reached out to Legacy Health for clarification on the discrepancy. They said they had nothing more to add outside their initial comment last week. OHA and Providence had similar responses when KOIN 6 reached out to them, too.