News

23 NYPD officers at risk for HIV, Hepatitis

Friday, November 16, 2007

(Long Island - WABC, November 16, 2007) (WABC) -- Nearly two dozen New York City police officers could be at risk for Hepatitis and HIV after it was revealed they were treated by a local doctor accused of practicing improper procedures involving shots.

Long Island reporter Emily Smith has details.

The NYPD medical division sent out a statement confirming that 23 police officers went to Dr. Harvey Finkelstein. They are among the 630 people who the state health department says are at risk for Hepatitis and HIV because the doctor reused needles. And now, the chairman of the Senate health committee says he is certain there are even more people at risk than anyone thinks.

"We still have a large number of questions to respond to for people who might've been patients of Dr. Finkelstein and have not been notified through the measures set forth by the state," Chairman of the Senate Health Committee Kemp Hannon said.

Hannon says his phone hasn't stopped ringing for two days since the Nassau County health department and state announced that an experienced Long Island doctor had potentially exposed hundreds of patients to HIV and Hepatitis by reusing syringes.

"The quick reaction on the street is how could this man still be practicing?" Hannon said.

Now, it has been released that among the 630 patients the state notified as being at risk of the diseases are 23 New York City police officers. They all received treatment from Dr. Finkelstein between 2000 and 2005, which is the time state officials say he reused syringes.

The NYPD released a statement saying, "While the risk of transmission of Hepatitis and HIV from such exposure is very low, we strongly advise members of the service who may have received treatment from the practicioner during that period to be tested for Hepatitis B, C and HIV."

Despite a call by many elected officials for Dr. Finkelstein's license to be revoked, the 52-year-old anesthesiologist continues to do epidural pain treatments out of his clinic in Plainview. The state has said that's okay because he was not cited for violations by the Office of Professional Medical Misconduct.

A spokesperson for Dr. Finkelstein released a statement saying that the doctor has received dozens of E-mails of support from his patients and colleagues. The statement also recommended that anyone who did receive a letter follow the guidelines.

Governor Eliot Spitzer released the following statemetn:

"Recent news reports about the state Department of Health's unacceptably slow response to allegations of infection control lapses are deeply troubling. The Department of Health has no more important objective than the safety of the public and clearly its response was not what it should have been.

The Department of Health has come under new leadership since the time of this incident and the new Commissioner, Dr. Richard Daines, moved his staff to complete the case investigations and to implement a plan to alert potential victims and to get them tested for Hepatitis C and other communicable viruses.

I have directed Commissioner Daines to conduct a thorough investigation of this matter and to report back to me. I have every confidence that Commissioner Daines will give this matter the vigorous review that is critically needed. He will oversee the implementation of corrective measures and other proactive controls to ensure that something like this never happens again."

Get more News »