Abstract

Retaining the Expertise of the HIV-infected Health Care Worker Part Two: The San Francisco General Experience By Gail S. Makulowich pital are HIV-infected. They are surgeons and other physicians as well as nurses and respiratory technicians. Work¬ ing alongside their uninfected colleagues, they perform surgery, run IVs, dress wounds, and participate in all aspects of patient care. Their jobs have never been in jeopardy "from day one," according to Rita A large number of health care work¬ ers at San Francisco General Hos¬ Fahrner, R.N., clinical director of the who seroconverted in 1987 still works at the hospital. Since October 21,1991, the hospital pol¬ icy, "The Infection Control Policy for Health Care Providers Infected with Bloodborne Pathogens," supports the right of HIV- and HBV-infected health care workers to perform any patient care activity. This policy, developed by the hospital's HIV Policy Committee, asserts that: (1) Enforcing a high standard of infection control applicable to all health care personnel is the best strategy for pro¬ tecting patients from accidental exposure to health care workers who might be infected with bloodborne pathogens. (2) The risk posed by HIV- and HBV-infected health care personnel, who comply with the mandated infection control