PITTSBURGH — Attorneys from a Pittsburgh law firm investigating the UPMC mold crisis are looking into the deaths of two more transplant patients, according to Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE.
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Jerry Meyers and Brendan Lupetin of Meyers Evans & Associates are gathering details on the 2014 death of Mary Frances Reiff, 69, of Crescent. She underwent a kidney transplant at UPMC Montefiore and contracted a fungal lung infection. Reiff died two months later at UPMC Presbyterian.
The firm also is looking into the death of John Petrolino, 70, of New Jersey, who underwent a lung transplant at Presby in November and died at his home Sept. 7.
Four patients developed fungal infections during the past year in Presby and Montefiore. Three of the them died.
UPMC maintains their deaths cannot be directly attributed to mold. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health conducted an on-site investigation. Their report has not yet been released.
Tami Minnier, UPMC's chief quality officer, issued a statement to Channel 11 News:
"We cannot discuss specific cases due to patient privacy. However, our recent investigation has shown no wider pattern beyond that which we've reported, and we continue to successfully treat our transplant patients, many of whom are turned away by other centers due to the highly complex nature of their illnesses. Fungal infections, while rare, do occur in hospitals nationwide, and the very sickest patients with the weakest immune systems are most at risk. Patient safety is UPMC's top priority, and we continue to work diligently to protect all of our patients."
The mold investigation caused UPMC to halt its transplant program for nearly a week last month.
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