Hot line heats up, as patients seek tests, press for answers

Mark McKay walked to the Veterans Affairs Hospital in West Roxbury yesterday, determined to get tested for tuberculosis.

He was in the hospital for a liver problem in May, when an infected surgical resident was treating patients. He didn't have surgery, but the 52-year-old said he's concerned because he's susceptible to infection because of a weakened immune system.

''I tried to call the hot line, but it's been busy," McKay said. ''I'd like to get tested today."

He's not alone. More than 3,700 patients and staff members at four area hospitals have to worry that they might have been infected by the possibly life-changing disease.

Health officials from the VA hospital -- as well as Boston Medical Center, Brockton Hospital, and Cape Cod Hospital, where the doctor also worked -- have been sending letters to possibly exposed patients. The hospitals also set up hot lines for those worried about infection.

At the VA hospital, where officials say the doctor worked from May 1 to May 31, more than 1,700 patients and staff might have been exposed, said health officials.

Marjorie Land of Griswold, Conn., accompanied her husband, Kirk, who was in for a checkup yesterday following bypass surgery last October at the West Roxbury hospital. ''I can't believe they don't do testing of doctors," she said. ''I think they should test these people before they start work."

She said she and her husband weren't concerned about possible exposure, because he had not been at the hospital in months. ''We're safe," she said.

Jean Pierre Coakley, 46, of Brighton said that many patients were talking about the TB exposure, but that he wasn't concerned, despite going to the hospital every week for treatment for a spinal cord injury.

''I had a TB shot a couple of weeks ago," he said, referring to the skin test for the TB. ''I don't have it."

At Boston Medical Center, hospital workers received an e-mail saying everyone needs to be tested, said one nurse who would not give her name. Still, many staff members said they are often exposed to infectious diseases and that this possible exposure is no different.

''I'm not worried," said Stephanie Batteglia, a dental student. ''It has to be prolonged exposure to get TB, and I'm not sure that many people were around this guy for a long amount of time."

Pratik Vakil, a medical student, said that there were a lot of rumors, and that officials have not announced exactly where the infected doctor worked. That lack of information, he said, is contributing to his sense of anxiety. ''I'm a little nervous," Vakil said.

At Brockton Hospital, where about 150 patients may have been exposed in December, there was some quiet speculation among staff members in the halls, but little response from patients. Of the handful of people inside the emergency waiting room at noontime yesterday, none were there for TB testing.

''I'm not aware of anyone showing up to get tested," said hospital spokesman Rich Copp. ''We received some phone calls to the hotline, but I think patients are really adhering to the advice they are seeing on TV and in newspapers that this is not a panic situation."

At Cape Cod Hospital yesterday, the phone lines were flooded with calls from patients wondering whether they needed to be tested for TB, hospital spokesman David Reilly said.

The medical resident, who is specializing in surgery, worked at the hospital from Jan. 3 to Jan. 30, and only patients treated in the surgical ward during that period need to be concerned, Reilly said.

Stephen Smith of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Rebecca Mahoney contributed to this report.