Doctoring the Truth
Welcome to Doctoring the Truth, a podcast where two dedicated audiologists dissect the world of healthcare gone rogue. Explore jaw-dropping stories of medical malfeasance, nefariousness, and shocking breaches of trust. The episodes provide deep dives that latch onto your curiosity and conscience. It's a podcast for truth-seekers craving true crime, clinical insights, and a dash of humor.
Doctoring the Truth
Ep 27-Infectious Fool and Fentanyl Addict
This episode unravels the shocking case of David Kwiatkowski, a traveling radiologic technician whose addiction to fentanyl sparked the largest hepatitis C outbreak in American history. For nearly a decade, Kwiatkowski moved between 16 hospitals across seven states, stealing pain medication intended for vulnerable patients and replacing it with saline-filled syringes contaminated with his blood. By the time authorities caught him, 45 patients had been infected with a potentially deadly virus.
Resources:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/03/hepatitis-c-case-medical-technician-jailed
https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-2e5795e233f1546cb161b12aef4b2892
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Stay safe, and stay suspicious...trust, after all, is a delicate thing!
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Amanda Jenna.
Speaker 2:How you doing Alley Cat. I'm doing real spectacular. How are you doing?
Speaker 1:Awesome, really good, good, good, good, really good Happy Monday. Happy Montag. If you're German, Listen. We have a new Belgian listener. Oh, I think they speak German there.
Speaker 2:So uh, yeah.
Speaker 1:Happy Montag. Ah, I've got nothing but welcome. Okay, I'll stop. So, Amanda, did you have you? You have? You said we had to wait till you finished dinner, but I need to know the Alleycast need to know were Reese's Puffs involved?
Speaker 2:nope, I had a real dinner. My husband grilled. It was good, delicious bless your heart.
Speaker 1:You've gone all adulting on us I mean, I didn't do anything. That's what happens when you have a hubby that likes to grill. Yes, good for him wonderful adam, adam, you're the best, so do we do. We do the obligatory weather discussion.
Speaker 2:We could, because it's effing gorgeous outside.
Speaker 1:It's. I mean, I think this will be a rare discussion, because normally we have stuff to complain about, but the weather has been gorgeous, so nice. We're talking, the smoke is cleared, the humidity is down, the temperature is moderate-ish to warm.
Speaker 2:I'm loving it and it's like it's when you're in the sunshine. You're warm, but there's a cool breeze. Ugh, it's got me craving fall real bad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the time of year when you can have your windows open or you could sit out on the deck or patio without a bug just munching down on you yeah, that's always nice any who's.
Speaker 1:All I was gonna say for the correction section not to preempt our little banter. We can keep answering if you want, but our correction section. I was gonna say I did reach out to the company that had the top pages have expired. Well, consult last week's IMI, global IMI Top 12 Medical Breakthroughs for Better Health this 2025. And I put the link to the website in the show notes for last week, and Amanda and I were like puzzled as to what the eye tracking technology to aid surgical procedures was Like. Are they excited? Like their number? This is what they judged as their number one tech innovation in 2025 is to like keep surgeons on track or like I don't know what this is. So I couldn't find anything in any of their little blogs, so I went to their contact us area and I sent them a little please, I would like to know more about what this number one eye tracking technology actually does in order to aid surgical procedures and have not heard back.
Speaker 2:So oh dang it. I was like oh, my gosh, I love this. What did they say? But wah, wah, wah.
Speaker 1:I know, wah, wah, wah. Well, I bring it up so we can stay interested in it, because hopefully they'll get back to me and maybe we'll have something to share.
Speaker 2:So I did try to follow up yeah, okay, well, we will wait for an update. Yeah me or whatever, emmy medical stuff, please reply so what are we talking about this week?
Speaker 1:my dear.
Speaker 2:well, so we're still not talking about the one that I was working on forever now, because I'm still not done reading the books that I have. I will say that I had guests at my house the last four days. That's so hard, so that took like a big chunk of time and obviously I didn't have time for reading.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause you can't just go. Okay, talk amongst yourselves. I'm, I'm reading you know yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:So then I thought, okay, I can like have like part of Sunday and Monday. And then I opened the document again today and I was like, oh my god, I only have five pages still and I have to read there's I. There's no way I can do this. So, unfortunately for myself, I did the same thing that I did last week, which was do a case from start to finish.
Speaker 1:Today, Yay Listen, you did a bang shoot job last week. I'm so excited to hear what we have this week. It just keeps us excited to hear what's coming in the future, and we all know that you're basically doing such a deep dive in the research. We can't wait to hear about your unique perspective on Jolly Jane that we may not have heard in other cases, other coverings of this case, your dedication.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you. Yeah, I did say to myself last week I will not do that to myself again, and here I was today and I told my husband I'm not doing this to myself again. So I hope that I do this case justice and I hope that you guys will all enjoy it.
Speaker 1:I'm sure you will, because there's something to be said for you know, like when you're cramming for a test in high school and you cram the night before instead of just like doing the way you're supposed to, like slowly over the weeks or whatever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, literally my educational career.
Speaker 1:If you cram yourself exactly Same, you're totally immersed in it. There's no one that's more expert in that subject than you, because you have deep dived and lived and breathed it for that full day or two days that you've. I was going to say dove into it. So bring it, girl. What did your deep dive show us?
Speaker 2:I will tell you after we hear from our first sponsor.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, I have to tell our listeners our first sponsor I'm really excited about, because, unless it's Reese's Puffs, my favorite dinner is Indian food.
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Speaker 2:That sounds so good right now, even though I just ate dinner.
Speaker 1:Indian food always sounds good.
Speaker 2:Always All right. Well, my friends, there is no time like the present to just hop on in. So shall we? We shall, okay.
Speaker 2:In the sterile corridors of American hospitals, patients expect healing, professionalism and safety. They trust medical personnel with their lives, often literally. But what happens when that trust is violated in the most horrific way possible? In this episode, we'll explore the case of the largest hepatitis C outbreak in American history. Interesting, this case explores how actions can devastate lives and even expose deep flaws in hospital oversight and national hiring practices.
Speaker 2:Among the heartbreaking stories is that of Lucy Starry, a beloved mother and grandmother who pursued life-extending heart surgery, only to be given a death sentence by someone who should have never been allowed near a patient. Oh, born in 1919 in Elmira, new York, lucy Starry was the daughter of Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States through Ellis Island, of Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States through Ellis Island. Despite the challenges of a new life in a new land, lucy grew up with determination and hope. She fell in love, married and raised four daughters. Though she never had the opportunity to attend college herself, she often shared with her girls her dream of becoming a nurse. Fittingly, two of them would go on to pursue that path, dedicating their lives to the profession she so admired.
Speaker 2:Lucy remained in good health for most of her life, staying active and independent well into her 80s. But when she began to experience shortness of breath, she was diagnosed with aortic stenosis, which is a narrowing of the heart valve. Her doctors recommended valve replacement surgery, and Lucy turned to her daughters, naturally, for advice. One daughter, kathy, who had worked as an operating room nurse for 20 years. She encouraged her mother to go forward with the procedure, confident that Lucy's strength and vitality would carry her through. Yes, kathy told her, you will do great. This will be a walk in the park.
Speaker 2:In September 2009, lucy was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland for open heart surgery. Before the valve replacement, doctors performed a routine coronary stent placement in the cardiac catheterization lab. Both procedures were successful. Her cardiologist was optimistic, telling her the new valve would likely give her at least another 10 good years of life. Her the new valve would likely give her at least another 10 good years of life. Energized and hopeful, lucy recovered well and seemed to be on track for a new chapter of health and independence. Eight weeks after her surgery, in December of 2010, lucy visited her local cardiologist for routine follow-up labs. The results were alarming. Her liver enzymes were abnormally elevated. Further testing revealed an even more shocking truth Lucy had hepatitis C. This news blindsided the family. They were absolutely stunned. Lucy had zero, no risk factors. How could this have happened?
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. No risk factors. How?
Speaker 2:could this have happened? Oh my gosh. Hepatitis C is a serious viral infection that primarily targets the liver. It is transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. The virus compromises the liver's ability to filter toxins and fight infection.
Speaker 2:In 2010, there were no effective curative treatments, meaning thaty now faced a chronic, progressive illness with no clear path to recovery. Her daughters, who were experienced nurses, understood the full gravity of the diagnosis, but shielded lucy from the worst of it. They were angry and confused, filled with guilt. How did this happen, you know? Had they made the wrong call, encouraging her to go to surgery? Kind of just feeling that like guilt, like as you would, we talked her mom into this right. Well, lucy's quality of life quickly deteriorated. She became fatigued, her legs and abdomen swelled and her liver was enlarged. For someone so vibrant and active it was was a devastating change. Her daughters racked their brains trying to determine how she had been affected. The most likely explanation pointed to her procedure at Johns Hopkins. But how could this have happened at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country? Hundreds of miles away in Exeter, new Hampshire, another doctor was asking similar questions in Exeter, new Hampshire, another doctor was asking similar questions In May 2012, dr Tom Sherman, a gastroenterologist at Exeter Hospital, noticed something disturbing.
Speaker 2:Two of his elderly patients, both considered low risk, had suddenly tested positive for hepatitis C. The virus is not oh grew. Three patients had contracted hepatitis C shortly after undergoing routine procedures. The hospital initiated staff-wide testing and they found that one hospital employee had also tested positive. All four of these individuals had one thing in common they had spent time in the hospital's cardiac cath lab.
Speaker 2:In May 2012, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services began a public health investigation after it was notified by Exeter Hospital of these four patients newly diagnosed with hepatitis C. Dr Elizabeth Talbot, a deputy state epidemiologist, was notified of the cluster. We typically see a couple of cases of hepatitis C a year. She explained A cluster like this was deeply unusual and deeply alarming.
Speaker 2:Detailed reviews of the cath labs operation turned up nothing obviously wrong. Sterilization and procedural protocols were being followed, but all paths pointed towards one shared space and potentially one individual the employee. When blood samples from all four infected individuals were tested for genotype, the results were damning. Each person had the same rare strain, hcv, genotype two. That meant that they had all been infected by the same source. Dr Talbot knew that it was time to loop in local authorities to the case. The investigation soon focused on a medical technician named David Kwiatkowski. David previously worked as a healthcare technician at several medical facilities in Michigan between 2003 and 2007 and became a traveling radiologic technician using various placement agencies to find employment at medical facilities in New York, pennsylvania, maryland, arizona, kansas, georgia and New Hampshire A lot of places.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, yeah, His work consisted of assisting physicians in the cath lab and while he didn't have formal access to controlled medications, he was present during most procedures. Some colleagues of his had noticed troubling signs for years. He often seemed sweaty, unwell or visibly altered. He had needle marks and abscesses on his arms. That raised concern.
Speaker 1:Oh no.
Speaker 2:On multiple occasions he was asked to leave the room because his bleeding abscess wounds were visible through his clothing.
Speaker 1:Are you kidding me?
Speaker 2:Which is absolutely disgusting.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:When asked about his condition by his colleagues, he claimed he was undergoing cancer treatments, but that was obviously a lie. When questioned as part of the investigation, his colleagues shared that they had discovered a fentanyl syringe in a public bathroom near the lab. Fentanyl is a powerful pain medication used during cath lab procedures and is kept securely in a Pyxis machine accessible only through fingerprint ID. David did not have access to this machine, so how could he be getting access if there were foul play involved? The thing was he wasn't without an opportunity. Investigators suspected that he had been stealing syringes that were prepared for patients, injecting himself and replacing them empty or, even worse, refilling syringes and putting them back onto the procedural tree.
Speaker 1:On.
Speaker 2:June 13, 2012,. David was brought in for questioning. He, of course, denied everything and claimed to be a victim himself. He said that he didn't know that he had hepatitis C. He was questioned about his behavior in the cath lab and about possible drug diversion. David explained that he had health issues, that you know he had cancer. He used this to explain his odd behaviors and denied any sort of wrongdoing. At that time, authorities had reports of unusual conduct, but not criminal conduct, and they would need solid evidence to support criminal conduct. Of course, as the days went on, the number of hepatitis C cases was rising. The epidemiology team went through patient records, cross-referenced with his schedule, to see how many patients had received procedures when David was present. They tested more than 1,200 patients and found that 32 of them were positive 32.
Speaker 1:Oh gosh.
Speaker 2:Every time someone was infected at the hospital, David was present.
Speaker 1:Oh no.
Speaker 2:With the alarming number of patients identified, it begged the question if this was bigger than the community of Exeter. Where did he work prior to Exeter Hospital? Digging into his work, history revealed an even darker picture. Over the course of nine years, david had worked in 16 hospitals, across seven states. Oh my goodness, this is how pandemics start in 2008, he had been caught at the university of pittsburgh lifting his shirt and injecting fentanyl, but denied any wrongdoing and quietly moved on oh my gosh in arizona.
Speaker 2:He was found unresponsive in a hospital bathroom with a syringe floating in the toilet, and when help arrived he quickly flushed it down before anyone could collect evidence. And then the final piece Records showed that David had been diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2010 while working in Kansas, so he had known for at least two years that he was infected and kept working with needles anyway. This discovery changed everything for the case, and it was also time for the CDC to be looped in on what was going on.
Speaker 1:I mean this is criminal, am I right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because they were like well, maybe he didn't like, maybe he is just doing drug diversion. He didn't know he had hep C.
Speaker 1:But even well, maybe he didn't like maybe he is just doing drug diversion. He didn't know he had Hep C, but even drug diversion he didn't. He didn't pay any consequences for that Right, which would have at least prevented him from continuing to harm people. Oh my gosh. Yes, this is crazy.
Speaker 2:And it was just like oh, I might be getting in trouble here, so I'm just going to slip away into the night and go get a job somewhere else.
Speaker 1:I mean, I can see where it happens, where people are, or people, hospitals or health care places are chronically understaffed, and so they do these ad hoc staffing situations, these per diem situations. How would you keep track of that across multiple places?
Speaker 2:especially when it's a position that we'll get into a little bit later. But it's not a board certified or like there's not a board that manages this type of position, so like if there were any disciplinary action right, that doesn't follow you because you're not under a regulatory board.
Speaker 1:Oh God, Okay. Well, I hope that we find out that this changes, but I don't know Okay.
Speaker 2:To carry on? Yes, but before we get more into that, we are headed into the chart notes segment. I was going to join. I was going to join.
Speaker 1:I preempted you. Where were we headed, amanda, into the chart Chart Note.
Speaker 2:That felt nice. Welcome to the chart note segment, where we learn about what's happening in medicine and healthcare. So just a quick note because you may be curious if there is a treatment for hepatitis C now, in 2025. The answer is yes, there is. Hepatitis C is generally curable with direct acting antivirals or DAA medications that are taken orally. The treatment is typically eight to 12 weeks and cures over 95% of patients. Yay, yay, this is usually without significant side effects and, of course, treatment can be longer depending on individual factors. But yay, yay, goodness. So okay, let's get into the chart note, which is also exciting news, yay.
Speaker 1:Yay, another yay.
Speaker 2:Yay, yay, yay, yay, Yay. Another yay, yay, yay, yay. So Northwell Health recently conducted a groundbreaking clinical trial using a vagus nerve implanted chip to treat rheumatoid arthritis Nice, which I will call RA now. This innovation, known as as the Setpoint system, is the first technology of its kind and has now received FDA approval as of July 31. So like Ooh, fresh, yes, a couple of days ago. And so that made it eligible for prescription use. Dr Kevin Tracy, president and CEO of the Finsteinutes for Medical Research at Northwell, emphasized the novelty of the approach, stating that doctors traditionally think of treating RA with pills, injections or physical therapy, but now they can consider a computer chip as an option. Developed by Setpoint Medical, the system is a neuroimmune modulation platform designed for patients with moderate to severe RA who haven't responded well to conventional therapies. The chip stimulates the vagus nerve once daily, triggering the body's anti-inflammatory and immune restorative pathways. Murthy Simbaltha, ceo of Setpoint Medical, called the approval a transformative milestone.
Speaker 1:How cool is the name Murthy, murthy, murthy.
Speaker 2:Y'all love it and we're going to focus on Murthy, because there's so many consonants in the last name, so let's restart that, friends. Murthy S, who's the CEO of Setpoint Medical, called the approval a transformative milestone in autoimmune disease management. The system will roll out in select US cities this year, with plans for nationwide expansion in early 2026.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think his last name is Simhamblata.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:Simhamblata Blah. Yeah, exactly, simham Blatta Blatta. Wow Okay, I'll cut all that out. You did a good job, simham Blatta.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, what she said. So Northwell Health hosted the clinical trial as its newly opened Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, where the device showed positive patient outcomes for bioelectronic medicine. Where the device showed positive patient outcomes. One patient is Don Steiner, a 58-year-old speech and language pathologist from Massapequa, massapequa, massapequa, who suffered from RA for 15 years and had failed eight medications, unfortunately so, after she joined the RESET-RA trial, she reported dramatic improvement within a week, a week of implantation oh my gosh, that's crazy. And now I know.
Speaker 1:That's more than just placebo. I mean, it's not like, oh, I've got a thing and now I feel better. No, that's wonderful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, yeah, especially because now, two years later, she says she feels the best that she has in decades.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:Which speaks volumes to how this thing is working. She was previously feeling debilitated and spending most of her time in bed, and now she enjoys walks and weekend trips. We love that for her, I love that for her oh my gosh. Shiner also spoke on the value of clinical trial participation, expressing pride in her role in advancing medicine. They need people like us to do things like this and give it a try, she said.
Speaker 1:Oh, bless you, Steiner. Oh Dawn, oh, I'm so glad you're feeling better. Thank you, Dawn. Yes, Dawn Dawn. Thank you, Dawn.
Speaker 2:She's from Massapequa so she talks like this, maybe a little bit.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Dawn Dawn Steiner. Listen, we need people like you and I'm glad you're feeling better. You know Power to the people.
Speaker 2:Okay, back to the story. I tried to do it like three hours later.
Speaker 1:Yeah, three hours later.
Speaker 2:Okay. So authorities and Dr Talbot worked closely with the CDC for the remainder of the investigation. They knew that they needed to identify all of the people who were under David's care in all of the hospitals. Identify all of the people who were under David's care in all of the hospitals. Hospitals across the country were put on high alert. If David had worked in their cath lab, every patient who had come in under his care had to be notified. The CDC recommended that more than 12,000 patients seek testing to determine whether they were infected Holy smokes.
Speaker 2:That's a lot of people, that's a lot of people, wow, and can you imagine getting that letter in the mail? Hi, yeah, you might have been infected with hepatitis C when you were here. Please come get tested. Like what the anxiety?
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah. So, it's my anxiety, anxiety.
Speaker 2:Testing revealed that 32 patients who were treated at Exeter Hospital, six patients who were treated at Hayes Medical Center in Kansas, six patients who were treated at Johns Hopkins in Maryland and one patient who was treated at the VA Medical Center in Baltimore, maryland, were positive and carried a strain of hepatitis C that had been genetically linked to the viral strain in which David was also infected.
Speaker 1:Douchebag. Thanks, David.
Speaker 2:This was now the largest hepatitis C outbreak in American history.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, understandable, because it should be gone. Yeah, we shouldn't be dealing with that anymore.
Speaker 2:Well, on july 15th 2012, 60 days into the federal investigation, a major break came. Law enforcement received a tip that david had tried to harm himself. He was located in a hotel room in boxborough, massachusetts. Officers found him in a deeply disturbed state, likely intoxicated and definitely experiencing a mental health crisis. He was transported to the hospital emergency room for care and while he received treatment, authorities obtained a search warrant to search his car, which obviously was still parked outside of the hotel. Inside of his car, they found a syringe labeled with a blue sticker that was marked fentanyl, exactly like the ones that were used at exeter hospital. That's how they marked their syringes. This was the breakthrough that they needed. The syringe was tested and it came back positive for David's shitty DNA. Oh, shock.
Speaker 2:It placed him at the scene and tied him directly to the drugs that were used at the hospital. Authorities finally had what they called their smoking gun.
Speaker 1:Their smoking fentanyl syringe yeah.
Speaker 2:David was arrested at the hospital bedside. Aw, wah, wah. And it was only then that he started to confess. Because he was caught, he said shit, I guess I'll tell you what he revealed was horrifying.
Speaker 2:of course he had been stealing fentanyl, whichl, which again is a powerful narcotic used in many surgical and diagnostic procedures. While preparing for procedures, he would remove a pre filled syringe of fentanyl, inject himself with the drug and then refill the syringe with saline. The same syringe, now tainted with blood, was slipped back onto the medication lineup, oh God. But no one noticed, because the syringes looked identical and the substitution was invisible to the human eye the fentanyl that he had replaced with saline laced with the virus. They look the same, they're just clear liquid.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, yeah they're just clear liquid.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, yeah. So he admitted to doing this at hospitals across the country as well, and he told investigators that he had been stealing drugs since at least 2003 and swapping syringes since at least 2008.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. First of all, not only is he potentially killing people with a virus, but they aren't getting their fentanyl. I mean, the fentanyl was prescribed for people who need to undergo procedures or are in extreme pain, so he's replacing it with saline and a little bonus virus Like exactly this is disgusting. That's horrible.
Speaker 2:Horrifying, and it was noted through this investigation that, like a higher number of patients were like in increased pain during procedures and they were like, well, what the hell? But they didn't know they were getting saline. They thought they were getting fentanyl, absolutely yeah. So then they would give them another dose, seemingly, or so they thought, of fentanyl, and then they finally were like, okay, that's a little better, but it's like, yeah, because you got fucking saline the first time how traumatic for the patients, not to mention the risk of the virus as well yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:authorities knew that it was going to be difficult to prosecute this fucker for infecting patients with hepatitis C, because proving intent in such a case would be nearly impossible, but diverting controlled substances and tampering with consumer products would be an easy conviction. He was formally charged with seven counts of obtaining controlled substances by fraud and seven counts of tampering with consumer products. Each charge carried significant prison time and in total he faced up to 100 years in federal prison.
Speaker 1:Well, thank God for that. Yeah, I mean we all know he's not going to get anything close to that, but no, I mean yeah, because we all know that he was negligent in that he was stealing the drugs and giving people who needed painkillers saline, even if he didn't know which I doubt he didn't know that he was sick with hepatitis.
Speaker 2:C. Well, he knew for at least the last two years.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's true. Yeah, out of the five years, there were two years that he knew. You're right, yeah.
Speaker 2:Two plus because he was diagnosed in 2010. And like I just feel like if you have hep C even if you don't have hep C, you know that it's transmitted by needles or bodily fluid Probably know you're putting those people at risk. It just is sickening deal. He agreed to plead guilty to all counts and also to a charge that was brought forward by prosecutors in Kansas, which was in connection to a patient's death there. His sentencing took place in December 2013.
Speaker 2:One by one, victims and family members gave their statements in court. Many spoke of pain, betrayal, grief and lingering health complications pain, betrayal, grief and lingering health complications. Some had forgiven them, others had not. David kept his eyes on the floor. I don't blame the families for hating me. David later said, after hearing 20-plus statements from people infected and their relatives, I hate myself. He said Okie dokie.
Speaker 2:He was sentenced to 39 years in federal prison. Us Prosecutor John Kakavas said the 39-year sentence imposed today ensures that this serial infector will no longer be in position to harm innocent and vulnerable people, extinguishing once and for all the pernicious threat he posed to health and safety. This prosecution surely heightened public awareness of the problem of drug diversion in medical settings, and the defendant's convictions and sentence represent a major step forward in redressing the catastrophic consequences of his selfish and reckless behavior. While no sentence of incarceration can restore his victims to their former state of health, I hope that bringing this defendant to swift and certain justice will give them some peace of mind as they confront the uncertainty of living with the hepatitis C virus. Special Agent in Charge, vincent Lissy of the FBI Boston Field Division said this was a heinous crime that touched so many of us in New Hampshire and in several states throughout the country. When you go into a hospital for treatment, you should be able to trust that someone like David Kwiatkowski would not steal pain medication intended for you and infect you with a deadly disease instead. Intended for you and infect you with a deadly disease instead. We are pleased to see justice served today and we hope that this lengthy sentence will deter others who might be tempted to prey on vulnerable patients. We are grateful to all the federal, state and local investigating agencies that took part in this unprecedented investigation and to the leadership of both United States Attorney John Kakavas and Assistant United States Attorney John Farley, who worked tirelessly to bring justice to the many victims of this case. And, most of all, we are deeply thankful to the numerous victims who selflessly shared their time and extremely personal information with investigators under such difficult circumstances. They are the true heroes in this investigation. Though faced with difficult circumstances themselves, their extraordinary cooperation and information were the backbone of this investigation.
Speaker 2:In addition to his terms of incarceration, he will be placed on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. When he is released in 2046, which, let's be honest, it'll probably be before then but if he is in there until 2046, he will be 61 years old at the time of his release and he will be permanently barred from working with any controlled substances. In 2014, legislation was passed in the state of New Hampshire that created the first ever board of registration for medical technicians. So for the first time, hospitals in the state had a system to communicate with one another about the disciplinary histories of techs and other temporary healthcare workers. It was a small but meaningful step towards accountability and patient safety.
Speaker 2:The public also began demanding answers from the hospital that had employed David. Why had no red flags been raised earlier? As more information came out, it was discovered that some hospitals had been suspicious of his behavior missing syringes, erroneous conduct but had never formally reported their concerns. Tale as old as time, one hospital even quietly let him go without alerting future employers allowing him to continue his pattern unchecked.
Speaker 2:This culture of silence, you guys, has proved to be deadly. It needs to stop. If you see something, knock it off. Tell the truth, say something. Yeah. Medical experts and ethicists began to weigh in. The Kwiatkowski case exposed not just one man's failures, but systemic weakness in the way traveling medical staff are vetted, tracked and held accountable. Unlike doctors and nurses, many technicians operate in a gray area, with fewer regulatory controls. This made it easier for him to move from hospital to hospital undetected. Meanwhile, patients continued to suffer. For those infected, the disease brought not just physical illness but emotional trauma. Hepatitis C is a chronic disease that, if left untreated, can cause liver damage, cancer and death. Many victims faced years of antiviral therapy, liver monitoring and stigmatization. Some had to delay organ transplant or chemotherapy due to their new status as infectious disease carriers, which is so sad.
Speaker 2:Some families sought legal recourse. Lawsuits were filed against multiple hospitals and staffing agencies. Some families received settlements, but no amount of money, of course, could undo what had been done. As for Lucy Starry, she passed away at the age of 94. Her family said that she made peace with the situation and that she had forgiven David before she died. And that she had forgiven David before she died. But her story and the stories of the other 43 infected patients remain a haunting reminder of how a single person's unchecked addiction can ripple across the nation.
Speaker 2:The David Kwiatkowski case stands as a testament to the devastating potential of system failure. It was not just one man's crime. It was the result of a healthcare staffing system that lacked transparency, a patchwork of regulations and a reliance on temporary professionals with a minimal oversight. So thank God that we got that silver lining. I didn't have time to look into if any other states had adapted this regulatory board. Bates had adapted this regulatory board, but it's been what? At least 10 years, 11 years now. Since then. I'm sure others followed suit. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, I mean. People trust hospitals to be a place of healing, not harm. So when that trust is broken, it's not easily restored and his name will eventually fade from headlines. But yeah, his impact won't be forgotten anytime soon.
Speaker 1:So the reign of terror is at least wow you know, you think like okay, we, we've known about drug diversion. I mean, this has probably been a thing since the dawn of drugs, health care drugs, at least, and people who work with them. But the fact that it's not just about the diversion of drugs and the fact that the person who needed the drug didn't get the drug, but the fact that the person who stole the drug is now infecting the person who needed the drug didn't get the drug and now they got an infection instead, I mean it's just so crazy and harmful and wrong. And I mean people like you and me, who would never think about this sort of thing, would never think that this is something that could happen, so no wonder it took so long. I mean, this is so recent.
Speaker 2:It's shocking that this is just coming up now it's kind of like obviously he was addicted to the drugs. So it's like, yeah, maybe he wasn't trying to actually harm people. Like I can see why they were like we can't take the serial killer angle in court because like that's gonna be impossible to prove. But it's the fact that actually you did know that you were diagnosed.
Speaker 2:Like I just can't look at that and he didn't know, because he just needed it and then I'm yeah, you know, when you hear about fentanyl you always hear about overdoses and like how strong and dangerous and everything. But if he was getting just a little syringe every now? And then you know, not enough to take him off the map.
Speaker 1:He's getting his specs, and the reason it was a little syringe is because the patients needed respite from their chronic pain, from whatever they'd had their procedure or whatever. And then he add insult to injury, not only are they in greater pain, but now they're exposed to infection and at the time, there was no curative it's disgusting medication or anything treatment yeah, yeah, I guess I've always thought about, oh, drug diversion.
Speaker 1:That's terrible, because then patients aren't getting the drugs they need, but like him reusing the needles and stuff, like I'm like that's a double, double injury. So let's hope that every state has adopted the systems that need to be in place to prevent this not only from happening, but I mean, I think a lot's happened with to prevent drug diversion. But you know, if someone has hepatitis c they should not be in inpatient or niki or icu situations where people are immunosuppressed, yes, exactly where people are exposed. So, oh well, thank you for bringing that up. That was fascinating. I appreciate you. Shall I do a sponsor too? Sure, we have another sponsor.
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Speaker 1:Just that, listen, dad, don't listen. Oh, but I was the one that just said maybe they should make guys stuff, that is, you know, left and right and whatever. So awesome, thank you To our sponsor. Maybe we've come up with more handful ideas. All right, so we have a medical mishap on our hands. Speaking of hands full, is this for me, hey, is this for me to read?
Speaker 2:Yep, did you look at it yet?
Speaker 1:No, I mean, that would be cheating. Oh, I didn't know. No, no, I don't read, I don't skip ahead. So this all right. So this email starts Hello, so I'm a physician assistant in an ear, nose and throat office. You guys know me personally, but this can be kept anonymous. Crying, laughing emoji.
Speaker 1:I was cleaning a gentleman's ears, which is pretty common in an ENT practice. This man previously had a cochlear implant, which, for anyone unaware, is a surgically implanted device that allows patients with severe sensorineural hearing loss to hear. This is typically implanted through the back of the ear and to the cochlea, so not normally in an area that's accessible. During an ear cleaning, which involves only the ear canal and maybe the eardrum, I was cleaning this gentleman's ear and saw something that looked like a foreign body in his ear, which should have been a red flag, knowing his history. As I was grabbing the nearby piece of wax, the mystery material pulled out with it.
Speaker 1:The patient, darn near, leapt off the exam chair. When I re-looked in his ear and saw what was clearly a wire. That's right, his cochlear implant device had somehow become displaced from his cochlea and was poking through his eardrum, which I then pulled. Further through the eardrum. I grabbed our nearest audiologist, our dear friend beep beep, our dear friend beep to confirm what I need to be true. I then called the surgeon, who was thankfully able to get him into the OR within a few days and replace his device, and he thankfully retained his hearing. This was one of the worst days of my seven years of working in ear, nose and throat, but I'm so thankful that the patient didn't lose his hearing from this incident.
Speaker 2:This individual sent me a picture of picture in the ear canal and it makes you shudder.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so this thing should be in the inner ear and it was pulled out through the eardrum as it had migrated. I will say I do happen to know about this case and this individual is perfectly fine. He did say that was the most horrific pain he's ever had in his entire life. I mean, he keeps coming back to us and I just told him listen, dude, you know what? Let's use mineral oil from now on to clear the wax. And he said I agree, Bless his heart. So it's all good.
Speaker 2:Thank you for sharing your story with us Yikes.
Speaker 1:Yikes, yikes and Rooney.
Speaker 2:So, Jenna, what can our listeners expect to hear?
Speaker 1:next week. Well, I don't know, I feel like your episode inspired me on the whole serial infector business and I'm thinking maybe I need to go all old timey historical and do Typhoid Mary. What do you think? Oh, yeah, you think. I mean it's always fun to go back in history, yeah, okay, maybe I'll do Typhoid.
Speaker 2:Mary.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:I love it, let's do it.
Speaker 1:So until then, ellie cats, don't miss a beat. Subscribe or follow Doctoring the Truth wherever you enjoy your podcasts For stories that shock, intrigue and educate. Trust, after all, is a delicate thing. You can text us directly on our website at doctoringthetruthatbuzzsproutcom, email us your story ideas and comments at doctoringthetruth at gmail, and be sure to follow us on Instagram at doctoringthetruthpodcast, and on Facebook at doctoringthetruth. We're also on TikTok at doctoringthetruth and edodpod, so that's edodpod.
Speaker 1:Don't forget to download rate and review so that we can be sure to bring you more content next week. Until then, stay safe and stay suspicious. Bye, goodbye.
