A letter to our San Diego community:

You may have seen increased media attention surrounding an investigation into missing drugs
that took place at Sharp Grossmont Hospital between July 2012 and June 2013. Given the
number of reports that have come out recently and the variations among them, we wanted to
explain the situation to you directly, and provide you with accurate information surrounding the
events that occurred during that time.

Beginning in 2011, we were alerted that potentially powerful drugs and equipment were missing
from the anesthesia cart in each of Sharp Grossmont Hospital?s three Women?s Center
operating rooms. Unauthorized removal or misuse of medication by a doctor or other medical
professional can present a threat to patient safety. We would never want to put our patients at
risk for this kind of harm.

Our initial efforts to determine the cause of the missing drugs through interviews and other
investigative methods were unsuccessful. We then installed a computer monitor with a motion-
activated camera in each of the three Women?s Center operating rooms. Although the cameras
were intended to record only individuals in front of the anesthesia carts, others, including
patients and medical personnel in the operating rooms, were at times visible to the cameras and
recorded without sound.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine how the anesthesia drugs were going
missing in order to ensure patient safety and quality of care. Through the investigation, we were
able to identify the individual who we believed was improperly removing the drugs. That
individual is no longer affiliated with Sharp HealthCare. The surveillance methods in the 2012-
13 investigation were used for that particular case only and have not been used again.

In 2016, a lawsuit alleging privacy violations and other claims stemming from the video
recording was filed against Sharp HealthCare and Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Since then, other
cases have been filed. The cases remain active and understandably, Sharp is unable to
comment further about them.

Sharp HealthCare and Sharp Grossmont Hospital continue to take extensive measures to
protect the privacy of our patients. The videos in our possession are kept in a secured safe in
our Security Department. We have provided copies of videos to third parties in response to legal
processes or specific patient authorizations or requests. Our primary concern has been, and will
continue to be, ensuring patient safety and quality of care. We sincerely apologize that our
efforts may have caused any distress to the women who were recorded, their families, and
others we serve. We can assure you this surveillance method is no longer in use, and we have
made changes in our protocols to ensure this situation is not repeated.

Sincerely,

@7004

Chris Howard
President and Chief Executive Officer, Sharp HealthCare