HELENA, Mont. — Bozeman Deaconess Hospital has been fined $3,500 by federal regulators after hospital officials lost a vial of radioactive material used to treat cancer patients.
The vial of samarium-153 was discovered to be missing during a surprise inspection by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in January, 2010, The Republic reports. NRC officials also noted that a door to the nuclear medicine laboratory was left open and the hospital failed to maintain constant surveillance of radioactive material.
After a mediation session on May 25, the hospital agreed to pay the fine, hire an outside organization to better train staff and managers and create procedures to encourage employees to raise radiation safety concerns.
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