Medical Office Responsible For Transmitting Hepatitis C To Patients Can Reopen

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -The Santa Barbara medical office of Dr. Allen Thomashefsky may reopen after it was shut down for unsafe injection practices.

The Public Health Department for Santa Barbara County released the following statement:
"Santa Barbara County Health Officer, Charity Dean, MD, MPH, has rescinded the Health Officer Order closing the medical office of Dr. Allen Thomashefsky. This action follows a number of measures that have been implemented to assure infection control practices are maintained at the medical office.

Genetic testing of Dr. Thomashefsky's former patients revealed at least four people who had procedures at his office the same day tested positive for Hepatitis C. A fifth may have contracted the deadly disease prior to treatment.

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New Case of Hep. C at Doctor's Office

Update: New Case of Hepatitis C Added to Ongoing Results of Testing for Bloodborne Virus Exposure 
Source: Public Health Department

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is continuing an investigation of Dr. Allen Thomashefsky’s medical office, and is recommending that former patients get tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. The Health Department has received and analyzed information associated with the laboratory test results of former patients. As of May 4, 2015, a total of 248 tests have now been reported. A new case of Hepatitis C has been identified and the cumulative results are as follows:

• 7 patients have tested positive for Hepatitis C Of these 7 patients
    -  6 of these are believed to represent a new, or acute, diagnosis of Hepatitis C
    -  1 is believed to represent a prior, or chronic, infection of Hepatitis C
• 1 patient tested positive for Hepatitis B and has been determined to be a prior, existing infection 
• 0 patients have tested positive for HIV 
• 240 patients are negative or not infected with Hepatitis B and C, or HIV

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Patients infected with Hepatitis C after visiting Santa Barbara doctor

At least five patients tested positive for Hepatitis C after receiving injections at a Santa Barbara doctor’s medical office, public health officials said.

Now, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is urging any patients who visited the medical office of Allen Thomashefsky to get tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.

Public health officials performed two inspections at Thomashefsky’s office in November 2014 after they received information that a patient with no known risk factors developed Hepatitis C following a  visit. The patient underwent multiple injections at his office.

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