Kevin Callahan Defends Exeter Hospital

Exeter Hospital president Kevin Callahan in a letter to the state's largest newspaper defended his hospital in the wake of a hepatitis C outbreak.

Prosecutors said the outbreak was started by hospital employee Dave Kwiatkowski, who allegedly spread his hepatitis C to dozens of patients by stealing their medication to get high.

Kwiatkowski is currently sitting in jail and faces 24 years in prison for fraud and tampering charges.

He was a "traveler," a medical technician who worked at hospitals across the country. Prosecutors said he knew he had hepatitis C as early as June 2010. In April 2010, he was from an Arizona hospital after he was found passed out in a locker room with used syringes nearby.

In a recent letter published the Union Leader, Callahan said Exeter Hospital checked his background before hiring him and found no red flags.

"When Exeter Hospital hired Mr. Kwiatkowski his national criminal background check, a sanctions check in a federal database, and the results of a pre-employment drug screening were all void of any information that would have challenged his appropriateness for employment for which he was applying," Callahan wrote. "In addition, two previous hospital employers had provided outstanding performance reviews, one calling him “invaluable.”

Callahan went on to say he's proud of how his staff handled the outbreak.

"I am proud of the way our staff has handled this tragic situation. We stopped Mr. Kwiatkowski from working," Callahan said. "We immediately notified authorities and we have been assisting investigators ever since."