HOSPITAL DRUG TESTING

Area Health Workers Aren't Tested Unless There's A
Problem

Pre-employment drug testing may help prevent health-care workers from
harming patients, but the practice is not widespread among
Charleston-area health facilities.

None of the three major hospitals in the Charleston area screens job
applicants for drug and/or alcohol use. Nor does either of
Charleston's two largest long-term care facilities.

Of seven facilities contacted by The Charleston Gazette, only one
conducted across-the-board drug screening for all prospective employees.

"We do not do that. It's my understanding that you cannot do
pre-employment drug testing," said Les Melton, vice president for
human resources at the Charleston Area Medical Center. "The Supreme
Court decided in 1992 that it was a violation of public policy."

The case Melton referred to did not address the issue of drug
screening job applicants, only employees. In 1990, West Virginia
Supreme Court ruled that an employer must have good cause to require
an employee to submit to a drug test.

The court also ruled that employers can require a drug test - without
cause - if the employee's job responsibility involves the safety of
others, such as working with or around patients in a hospital.

"It would be hard for any employee here to cause harm to a patient
because typically there is more than one person in the room where
controlled substances are being administered," Melton said.

Yet CAMC has fired workers for drug abuse. "Yes, we've had to dismiss
employees for substance abuse, but not a lot, " Melton said. "And it's
not always termination. We try to save the person's career when we
can."

CAMC, along with Charleston's two other acute-care hospitals, conduct
drug screening tests only when administrators determine there is a
reason. Thomas Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Joanna Isaac said that
hospital conducts medical histories and background checks on all new
hires but does not test for drug use. Thomas Memorial employs 1,001
people full-time.

"The only time we would test for drugs is if there is a problem like a
behavioral problem," she said. "This is a matter of personnel policy
and I'm sure drug use has not been a problem. If it were, they would
change [the policy]."

Isaac said that firing employees who abuse drugs is the last resort.
She said the hospital offers rehabilitation programs to employees
engaged in substance abuse. She would not say how many employees the
hospital has terminated because of drug problems. "Personnel matters
of that kind are strictly confidential," she said.

Saint Francis Hospital has the same policy. The only time the hospital
tests for drug use is after a person becomes an employee. "We don't do
any drug testing of prospective employees," said Saint Francis CEO Dan
Lauffer. "If we have detected a behavior problem or see signs where
that would be a possible issue, we have the ability to request that
the employee submit to a test."

Lauffer refused to say how many employees have been fired due to
drug-related problems. "All I can say is, we will investigate all
people suspected of drug use. We're not totally immune from this, but
it's not a huge problem," he said.

Lauffer acknowledged that those people could have contact with
patients.

Shawnee Hills is the only health organization of those polled that
conducts pre-employment drug screening of all employees. Shawnee Hills
is a nonprofit mental health center that offers treatment and services
to people who have mental illness, mental retardation or addiction
problems.

The organization has 800 full-time and 93 part-time employees in four
counties.

"We screen all of our potential employees for drug use," said Luann
Summers, human resources director at Shawnee Hills Community Mental
Health-Mental Retardation Center. "We serve a vulnerable population
and have found this is an effective way of eliminating a lot of
problems before they begin."

Highland Hospital, also a mental health facility, conducts
pre-employment drug screening only on job applicants who will see
patients in their homes. "We only do across-the-board drug testing on
our home health services applicants," said Dave McWatters,
administrator at Highland Hospital, a mental health facility. "If we
have suspicions about employees using drugs we do random testing."

The state licensing office does not require hospitals to conduct
pre-employment drug screening or any other type of checking of
prospective employees. "There is no state law in West Virginia that
requires hospitals to do background checks before hiring," said Bonnie
Brauner of the state Office of Health Facility Licensing and
Certification. "But they are required to report any incident that
happens after the person is hired."

Hospitals cite various reasons why they do not conduct pre-employment
drug screening.

Saint Francis tested job applicants until 1998. "We tried it for a
year or so, but the yield was so low that we never found anyone who
tested positive," Lauffer said.

Lauffer added that the hospital is considering doing random testing of
employees who have access to hospital narcotics.

Melton said that the costs of testing outweighed the benefits. "It's a
very expensive process. It's very costly because you have the test and
cost of the time and effort that goes into it, " he said.

Shawnee Hills administrators said pre-employment drug testing is a
preventive measure that saves money in the long run. Summers said the
test costs $20. "It's really worth it because we feel we've eliminated
a lot of problems just in the short time we've been doing it," she
said.

Shawnee Hills hired 183 new employees during the past six months.
During that same period, 14 job offers were withdrawn because
applicants did not pass drug screening urine tests. In the past two
years, four people have been fired for drug-related reasons, Summers
said.

National Patient Safety Foundation Executive Director Joanne Turnbull
said pre-employment drug testing would help protect patients from
mistakes or abuse by impaired health-care workers.

"The safety of patients can be compromised by an impaired worker," she
said. "A system like pre-employment drug testing can help protect
patients. Fortunately, most health-care employers do have drug testing
mechanisms in place."