Former Hospital Employee is Suing After Being Fired While Trying to Prevent Spread of Infection

Shannon Walden, a former infection control coordinator at Missouri River Medical Center in Fort Benton Montana, is filing a lawsuit claiming that she was fired for reporting to state officials the lack of action and negligence in the center which allowed a contagious infection to spread.

Walden is seeking nearly $60,000 in damages, according to the Lee Newspapers of Montana.

Details of the Case

Walden’s case reports that several residents and staff members of the Missouri River Medical Center were diagnosed with scabies in March of 2015. Walden recommended that the residents and staff be treated for scabies, and advised other steps to reduce rates of infection like fresh clothing and bedding. However, Walden’s recommendations were not heeded and led to about ten residents and staff to becoming infected.

Scabies is highly contagious and causes rashes on victims. Scabies can be transferred via skin-to-skin contact or contact with an contaminated item. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Institutional outbreaks [of scabies] can be difficult to control and require a rapid, aggressive, and sustained response.”

Walden reached out to many organizations after her recommendations were not met, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. On August 24, 2015, Walden sent an email to the infection control department at Benefits Health System in Great Falls, Montana, voicing her concerns about the lack of action taken to stop the infection. In the email, Walden told Benefits Health System that the nursing director, Janice Woodhouse, lied about the number of scabies cases at her center. Walden was later fired the same day. The reason for Waldon’s discharge, according to Court records, was because of a “required reduction in workforce and budgetary shortfalls.”

State investigators found that the Missouri River Medical Center had incomplete medical records of its patients, had about ten residents who showed signs of scabies, and did not take proper steps to prevent the spread of infection.