For Immediate Release
December 27, 2007
| For additional information contact: |
| Bridie Kent at (616) 632-7110 |
Kent County Health Department to Notify Additional Patients of Potential Risks
(Grand Rapids, MI) – On Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008 the Kent County Health
Department will mail letters to approximately 8,500 people recently identified
as former patients of Dr. Robert W. Stokes. The letters will notify recipients
that they may have received care that does not conform to current standard
medical practices.
During the course of an April 2007 investigation into charges of health care
fraud, federal investigators discovered that Dr. Stokes, a dermatologist who
had offices in Grand Rapids and Greenville, may have reused medical instruments
designed and intended for use on a single patient, on multiple patients. Following
the discovery, Dr. Stokes' offices were closed on April 9.
This second mailing will be in addition to nearly 5,000 letters sent to former patients of Dr. Stokes in November, and is part of an ongoing effort by the Kent County Health Department to ensure that all former clients of Dr. Stokes are aware of potential health risks. Recipients of the upcoming mailing were identified after an attorney for Dr. Stokes voluntarily handed over additional patient records.
A risk assessment performed by the Kent County Health Department concluded that Dr. Stokes’ medical practices may have put his patients at increased risk of coming into contact with blood borne pathogens, including HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. While the chance of former patients acquiring infections through procedures performed by Dr. Stokes is very slight, the Health Department recommends that all patients of Dr. Stokes visit their health care providers to determine if testing for these viruses should be performed.
Former patients of Dr. Stokes who need additional information or do not have a primary care physician may call the Kent County Health Department at 616-632-7260, Monday – Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:15 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) has been in the business of providing health services to the whole of Kent County since 1931. It is made up of four divisions: Administration, Community Clinical Services, Community Nursing and Environmental Health. The Health Department is home to nearly 260 employees, including public health nurses, sanitarians, health educators, technicians, and public health administrators. KCHD operates four satellite clinics located in Wyoming, Kentwood, Rockford, and the Westside of Grand Rapids. The Health Department is also home to the Kent County Animal Shelter. To learn more about our services, visit www.accesskent.com/health.
