HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK)—Cabell Huntington Hospital will take corrective actions under a settlement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The NRC conducted inspections of the hospital and found 14 violations related to nuclear medicine activities, according to a release from the NRC. these violations were detailed in a report issued on June 22, 2022.

11 of those violations, specifically numerous instances where non-employee physicians received radiological exposures during the administration of medical treatments that did not comply with NRC safety requirements, qualified for escalated enforcement. The NRC says the medical center also possessed an iridium-192 radioactive source at an unlicensed location.

The NRC says no public health and safety consequences resulted from improper storage.

The following corrective actions will be implemented by the hospital: a third-party audit of Cabell Huntington’s radiation protection program, the completion of a review of the medical center’s radiation protection program, a review of the current radiation protection training and revisions to ensure it is consistent with NRC requirements, and the sharing of lessons learned with other medical facility operators through presentations and professional publications.

The NRC says other steps Cabell Huntington Hospital has taken or will take include the development of a centralized radiation safety policy and training on the proper use of radiation-measuring detectors, in-person instruction on the transportation of radioactive materials to and from the hospital and their subsequent handling, and a restructuring of its radiation safety committee for better oversight of locations authorized for nuclear medicine services.

Cabell Huntington Hospital will not be subject to a civil penalty for these violations.