Contracted HCV at Clinic

[greatful1]

I just want to let the public know that I contracted Hepatitis C during a visit at a clinic called Wellness Works in
Brandon, Florida.   The Health Department notified me of my exposure and their report showed that other innocent patients were infected due to the reuse of syringes and single use vials.... The Doctors in clinic never told me that they were sorry not did they offer to pay for my expensive treatment.   Dr. Carol Roberts director of the clinic, shortly after the outbreak published her new book called "Common Sense to Good Medicine."  There is even a Liver section!   This has all nearly ruined my life not to mention the hell I went thru during treatment.  I just want to know if anybody else out there fells the same anger and pain that I do about this sad but true situation???  

[jazzmanjimmy]

Greatful1 please contact me. My brother John Francis Lyons died of the disease in 1998. I do the Jazz show at WMNF where Roberts shilled for years. (Sunday 6 to 9 PM) I have info about the coverup at WMNF when they already knew she had infected people and let her continue to shill on air chelation treatments on 3-15-10. I have the recordings and can show you based on emails from news director Rob Lorei admitting he knew yet he said nothing to his listeners during that show to protect his news strip fundraiser. Refer to the 3-29-10 article in the Tampa times by Eric Deggans, "Dr carol Roberts suspended by WMNF" I appear at the bottom of the article. I can prove to you collusion by Rob Lorei and Roberts. He had known for a while yet allowed her to shill for chelation on that show at the 32 minute mark and she described it as effective for viral diseases. It makes me sick I have the recordings and emails to prove it. My brother contracted his back in 1980 from bad blood. They did not know what it was back then until the late 80's. I so respect your privacy, but I am trying to reach out to the 11. I had to wait this long because of the long legal disposition of the case in October of 2012 and I left town thereafter. II promised manager Jim Bennett that I would at that time.  I am back now. Pleeeeeze call me at 813-728-7084. I am so sorry about what you are going thru. I watched my beloved brother turn yellow and die. I love him and miss him. i am from a very tight irish catholic family of 11 from Mobile. I do not want you to relive this, but I know I have a responsibility to our listeners to never let this happen again. You can also email me at ***@****. This was avoidable pure greed inn cutting corners on syringes caused this. I have a copy of her 3-20-10 show on WMNF with Mary Glenney. SHE NEVER EVEN TRULY APOLOGIZED ON AIR> She referred to you and the other 10 as those people. Sickening. I just want to talk with you. If you wish to not give me your phone just put #67 before the number and it will come to me as unknown. If the other 10 wish to contact me please forward this. Do that until I answer it. I wish you to have a great thanksgiving. I am attempting to eradicate the problem at the station now.

Jimmy Lyons
Longtime programmernrul SAIS SHE WASa813-frVfugb. s1.

[greatful1]

Here is the Email Addresses.  Not sure why I could not add them...

rick.***@****
rick.***@****

yolonda_green***@****

[greatful1]

Dear nobodynew:

I feel your pain.  You might want to also be tested to make sure you did not contract HCV from Dr. Roberts or Dr. Bradshaw back in 2003.   I filed a complaint against them with Medical Quality Assurance.  The State can take them before Board of Medicine to review thier licenses.  

You can file a complaint against them with Medical Quality Assurance.  Just go to this link and click on the "File a Complaint" http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/enforcement/enforce_csu.html

I sent a copy of the complaint to the Governer's office at:
rick.***@****
rick.***@****

I also sent a copy of the Complaint to the Attorney that works for the State for Medical Quality Assurance:  yolonda_green***@****

Please consider doing this as soon as possible.

Good Luck to you and I am very sorry you were also hurt.

[nobodynew]

i went to that clinic in 2003 and carol roberts and her pa, erika bradshaw, used and abused me and when i went to a lawyer he wanted a $10,000 retainer.

roberts prescribed a have all of my amalgams removed and then said she had no idea how to chelate me.  she's a fraud.

at my last visit her and bradshaw laughed in me and my husband's faces telling us that i must be possessed and needed an exorcism.  they are evil, dangerous, doctors and it seems untouchable.

i just tried to post about the malpractice and my experience on the florida thyroid group on yahoo and got banned for it.

it's sad that no one will listen about this doctor, her clinic and her associates.

i tried for years to have mary shomon post my negative experience on her 'top doc' list and have been ignored.  i wanted to warn people and no one would listen.

i am ssssssssoooooooo very sad that you got abused by carol roberts.  i wish you the best of luck and hope your day is as good as it possibly can be considering.

sharon

[charm27]

It makes me sick to hear this. Im sorry you are going thru an ordeal like this.
Im sorry seems to be the hardest words.

An attorney is DEFINITELY called for.

I wish you the best in your unfortunate battle.

Charm

[greatful1]

Hi again:   There were 129 patients tested from the Clinic and 11 tested positive for HCV infection.   9 were newly identified cases, me being one of them.  2 of the 11 had been diagnosed prior.  Correction from my last email, I was one of 4 that was linked by Phylogenetic analysis that determined me to be 99.0 to 100 percent  similar to the other 3 patients that suggests that we all had a common source.  When the Department of Health inpected in July 2009 they identified serious infection control injection safety problems at the Clinic.   Keep in mind the Clinic Director is a Harvard gradutate and went to Texas Medical School.  She tried to blame it all of the nurse.   I have learned that most Clinics are not required to have Bio Hazard Training and can slip through the cracks.   I feel strongly that the Physicians should be required to provide and pay for annual Bio-Hazard Training for all staff if they do any invasive procedures.   Drawing blood is invasive.   I am trying to get the Governers attention and help change the laws on this...  Any ideals would be helpful.  

[Gracie_Lue]

Oh my goodness! That's just so scarey to think people would put you at such risk to save money on syringes and vials. I'm really sorry you had to go threw that. The doctors is suppose to be some where safe you go to get help when you're not fealing well not walk out with some thing like hep c! I wish you the best in going up against them.

[flcyclist]

Since you and the other four patients all have 1b, it would be hard to dispute someone might have acquired it somewhere else.  This is too coincidental.

So sorry you have to go through this trt, but perhaps since you are catching it so early, your chances for success are greater.  This site has been very helpful for me in both support and education.

Wish you the best of luck.

[greatful1]

I want to Thank you for all of the support.   The name of the Clinic that infected me is called Wellness Works in Brandon, Florida. I went one visit for a second opinion and was convinced to have a Vitiman Infusion to give me more energy.  That was the worst mistake I have ever made.  The Doctor in charge wrote a book after the Hepatitis C outbreak called "Good Medicine, A return to Common Sense".   Imagine how shocked I was when I found that out.   Yes the Health Department and CDC linked me to four other patients with the exact 1b.   Four people I have never ever met.  I have sucessfully gone thru treatment and must admit that was the worst year of my life....  The treatment was very expensive and the clinic never offered to help pay for anything.   Yes, I do have a very good Attorney.   Again I am grateful for all of the support.

[Diane12855]

If they were reusing syringes, they don't know who the original person was. There could have been many hep c positive people come in there before she got there. I mean... how many times did they reuse syringes? How many patients had come through there before this was discovered? How many got infected but don't know?

It is VERY sad that in this day and time in our country... with all of the education available about this disease and other blood borne diseases, that the medical people that we trust so much are so careless with our futures.

Diane

[flcyclist]

Has it been determined which genotype the initial patient had and what genotype you have?  This will be important to know as you proceed.  A good attorney should be able to get your treatments covered and perhaps more.

[Diane12855]

There was also that news that came out this past summer about the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. I think everybody above is right. You should call an attorney and make as big of a stink over this as you can. I wish there was a way to get in touch with the other people who were infected by this. That would really get some attention.

I am sorry that you are having to deal with this though.

Diane

[grizwald]

The exact same thing happened at 3 or 4 clinics in Vegas.  Nothing would have happened except the attorneys became involved and through the news media, brought the matter into public view showing the Clark Co. Brd.of Health was doing very little about the problem, seeing they (CCBd of H) had known of this for about 3 Yrs. and fined the clinics with a few piddaly little fines and told them not to do it again, then The Clark Co. Brd. of Health closed the clinics and made a couple of real bold statements about how they better not ever try that again.  Mean-while they're patients had been given Hep a&b and the atys were putting they're case together and searching for people who may have contracted more critical diseases.
But nothing would have happened if the attornys and a couple of inside whistle-blowers had not caused it.  So, if possible, please do talk to a lawyer.  I know it's a terrible understatement but the public deservers better than this from the owners and staff of the clinics and the brds of hlth across the country.

I wonder how much they could have saved?  35c  a  $1.00

Good Luck & God Bless,

Griz

[EyesofBlue55]

Agree with ALL-looks like a malpractice suit to me!!!Especially if they admitted to it !!!

[nygirl7]

I would definitely get a lawyer after reading that.

[James10500]

Agree with Susan.  This is terrible very sorry you had to deal with HCV tx.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/hepatitis-c-outbreak-at-brandon-holistic-clinic-blamed-on-syringes/1081258

[Susan_1a_CC]

Sounds like it's time to contact an attorney.

[Mary4now]

OMG, I'm sure they will pay,  reuse of syringes, how disgusting.  
Do you actually know that you have hep C?  did you get tested?  I hope you escaped it, or I hope your body cleared it.