Oregon hospital faces $303 million lawsuit after nurse accused of substituting tap water for fentanyl, ET HealthWorld

Medford: Lawyers representing both living and deceased patients at an Oregon hospital filed a $303 million lawsuit against the facility on Tuesday after a nurse was accused of substituting non-sterile tap water for prescribed fentanyl in intravenous infusions.

The wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit accuses Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford of negligence. The suit alleges, among other things, that the hospital failed to monitor drug administration procedures and failed to prevent drug abuse by its employees.

A hospital spokesman said there was no comment.

Dani Marie Schofield, a former nurse at the hospital, was arrested in June and charged with 44 counts of second-degree assault. The charges stemmed from a police investigation into theft and abuse of controlled substances that caused infections in patients. She has pleaded not guilty.

Schofield is not named or listed as a defendant in the lawsuit filed Tuesday. A separate lawsuit was filed against Schofield and the hospital earlier this year on behalf of the estate of a deceased 65-year-old man.

The 18 plaintiffs in the new lawsuit include nine patients and the surviving relatives of nine deceased patients. According to the lawsuit, the hospital told them in December that an employee had substituted tap water for fentanyl, leading to bacterial infections.

“All of the plaintiff’s patients were infected with bacteria exclusively associated with waterborne transmission,” the lawsuit states.

All plaintiffs suffered mental anguish, according to the lawsuit, which seeks millions of dollars in damages for medical expenses, loss of income and the pain and suffering of the deceased.

Medford police began investigating late last year after hospital officials noticed a disturbing increase in central venous catheter infections between July 2022 and July 2023 and told police they believed an employee had diverted fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that has contributed to the country's overdose epidemic, but it is also used in legitimate medical settings to relieve severe pain. Drug theft from hospitals is a long-standing problem.