A judge has ruled that State health officials can access private health records at Exeter Hospital, as it continues to investigate an outbreak of Hepatitis C.
In August, the Hospital went to court seeking a protective order, arguing that the Division of Public Health’s request for patient records violated privacy laws.
But Superior Court Judge Richard McNamara has denied that request, saying that patient privacy must give way to the state’s interest in investigating a public health threat.
Former hospital employee David Kwiatkowski is accused of reusing needles at Exeter, infecting at least 32 patients with Hepatitis C.
