KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — State health officials are urging some patients of a West Michigan doctor to consider HIV and hepatitis testing after a complaint that his office repeatedly used anorectal manometers that were inconsistently cleaned between patients.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs filed the administrative complaint on May 21 against Dr. Roger D. Beyer, who owns Urological Solutions of Michigan and Women’s Health Care Specialists, both in Kalamazoo. The state says Beyer’s office also performed the procedures at long-term care and skilled nursing facilities in West Michigan.

Beyer is accused of negligence, failing to meet minimal standards for practicing the health profession and adulterating a device.

“There is nothing that we did here that would endanger them (the patients),” Beyer said when 24 Hour News 8 found him at his office Tuesday. “Their care is our greatest concern.”

But the complaint accuses Beyer of telling staff to reuse anorectal manometers on multiple patients, even though the devices are only federally approved to use on a single patient.

Beyer told 24 Hour News 8 that the allegations are not true, but wouldn’t go so far as to say that they were “all false.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, please,” he said.

The complaint states that in an April interview with authorities, a nurse practitioner with Women’s Health Care Specialists estimated she reused one rectal pressure sensor more than 100 times before it was replaced.

LARA also alleges the devices, which are inserted into the rectum, were “cleaned inconsistently” between patients. One nurse practitioner told investigators she was instructed to put the device in a nonlatex glove before inserting it into a patient, and that it was “cleaned occasionally and re-used on multiple patients.”

Beyer said the whole thing is a misunderstanding.

“We called the device division of the (Food and Drug Administration) and they said that what we were doing was proper. The (prosecutor) in Grand Rapids disagrees with it. That’s what it’s about,” Beyer said.

He said the devices were sanitized “better than what the reg(ulation)s asked for.”

When asked why his employees would make statement that indicated otherwise, he declined to answer.

The Michigan Department of Health And Human Services says that it hasn’t received any reports of disease stemming from the improper procedures, but there can be few or no symptoms.

MDHHS is encouraging all patients who had the procedure from Beyer or his staff to get blood tests for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Department says it offers all three tests during the following clinic hours:

• Monday, Tuesday*, Wednesday and Friday (except holidays): 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., 2 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.
• Third Tuesday of the month: 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Beyer has until next week to respond and “show compliance” with the law, or the state could pull his license.