A former Mills Peninsula Medical Center phlebotomist accused of reusing needles at a Palo Alto lab from 1997 to 1999 was formerly charged yesterday in court for a felony assault with a deadly weapon and four counts of health safety code violations. She also has a misdemeanor charge of altering a medical record for topping off one patient's blood sample with the blood of another.
Elaine Giorgi, 53, allegedly put 3,600 patients at risk at a SmithKline Beecham lab in Palo Alto. Investigators have also looked into her contact with 12,000 other patients throughout the Bay area since 1994, but she is only being charged with her activities at SmithKline Beecham. Thousands of people were tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C after a temporary worker reported Giorgi to health officials. Very few cases of disease have been linked to Giorgi, although one suit was filed by a Redwood City woman who charges that Giorgu infected her with hepatitis C.
Giorgi will be arraigned and a trial date set on December 11. Although she reportedly admitted to reusing needles last year, she is maintaining her innocence in court.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.