CHESPAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake Regional Healthcare has issued an alert to patients who received care from a former nurse at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (CRMC) after an investigation revealed that the nurse was improperly reusing needleless syringes to administer IV medications.
The investigation, which involved CRMC, the FDA, and other agencies, determined that these actions violated hospital policy, training protocols, and regulatory standards.
As a result, the nurse is no longer employed at CRMC.
In a statement, Chesapeake Regional Healthcare emphasized their commitment to patient safety, transparency, and accountability, expressing regret over the incident and outlining their efforts to support affected individuals and prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Currently, there is no evidence indicating that any patients received medication from a reused syringe.
However, as a precautionary measure, CRMC is reaching out to all patients who received care from the nurse in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) during the period from July 24, 2023, to January 20, 2025.
While the health system asserts that the risk of infection transmission is extremely low, they recommend that patients contacted by the hospital get tested for bloodborne pathogens. Testing is being offered for free, by appointment, to these patients.
Details for notified patients to get free testing:
Where: Testing is available at two locations on Chesapeake Regional Healthcare’s campus
- Jennings Outpatient Center, located at 844 Battlefield Blvd.
- The Lifestyle Health and Fitness Center, located at 800 Battlefield Blvd.
When: Available from now until July 31, 2025.
To make an appointment: Notified patients are asked to call 757-312-2189.
As of this writing, there haven’t been any reported cases of patients getting sick from the nurse’s actions.
