Decade after hepatitis outbreak, medical registry might end

A decade after New Hampshire stopped a traveling medical technician who had been stealing drugs and infecting patients with hepatitis C, the Legislature might eliminate a registration system aimed at preventing similar misconduct

CONCORD, N.H. -- The medical technician who drew blood from New Hampshire Rep. Peter Schmidt after he broke his leg in February was registered with the state, thanks to a 2014 law enacted after a traveling medical technician infected dozens of people with hepatitis C.

But by the time Schmidt was back on his feet, colleagues had hijacked his bill aimed at improving the registry. House lawmakers passed a bill last month eliminating the registration requirement altogether, and Schmidt is now urging senators to reject it.

“Please do not pass this, this is a terrible idea,” Schmidt said. “I think we need to continue to register these medical technicians, otherwise we are opening ourselves up to a potential repeat of the Exeter experience.”

New Hampshire created the Board of Registration for Medical Technicians in response to David Kwiatkowski, who is serving 39 years in prison for stealing painkillers and replacing them with saline-filled syringes tainted with his blood.