Oregon hospital paused endoscopies due to issues with quality control, cleaning

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — State and federal health leaders have stepped in after an Oregon endoscopy facility was temporarily closed due to some issues with cleaning and quality control.

In a statement, Providence Medford Medical Center Communication Leader Danielle Craig revealed the hospital’s endoscopy services paused from June 27 to July 8 — after leadership “learned that some quality control steps and related processes in endoscopy cleaning were not completed in some cases.”

Healthcare providers use an endoscope, a tube with a small camera attached, to conduct the procedure and treat patients.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Providence Medford temporarily paused endoscopy procedures,” Craig said in the statement. “This pause allowed us to review our processes and retrain our caregiver team. During this time, we followed our normal process for low-volume staffing.”

The procedures have since resumed, the spokesperson added. She noted that the hospital has also informed the impacted patients and offered them free testing.

According to Craig, the Oregon Health Authority’s Healthcare-Associated Infection program is now consulting Providence as it reviews its cleaning and disinfection practices. The healthcare system also accepted OHA’s offer to engage with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “as a subject matter expert.”

The Medford medical center has already begun implementing some changes, Craig said.