Moldy bed linens linked to Pennsylvania deaths used by hundreds of healthcare facilities
A report commissioned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has found the bed linens it and hundreds of other facilities used carried fungus that has been connected to five mold-related deaths.
The report, which was filed in court as part of two wrongful death lawsuits against UPMC, points the finger at the ventilation system at Paris Healthcare Linen Services. The company serves about 180 customers, including 22 UPMC facilities.
“We have learned finally what the source of the fungus was that killed all of these patients," attorney Brendan Lupetin told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Right now we have great concerns on the extent to which remediations have been made to ensure that clean and safe linens are actually being used on the patients at UPMC, specifically the immune-suppressed people."
For more on UPMC’s response, and the timeline of the Tribune-Review’s coverage of the system’s “mold crisis,” click on the link below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.