Saga of Tacoma woman who refused TB treatment appears over. Here’s what a court ordered
A Tacoma woman at the center of a case requiring home detention after not complying with health orders for tuberculosis treatment has been released from home detention with conditions.
Under an agreement filed July 20 with the Pierce County Superior Court, the woman, identified as “V.N.” in court papers, was cleared after passing three consecutive negative sputum tests.
Health officials consider a negative result to mean she is no longer infectious.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said that “all parties in this case agreed to a court order with conditions to end isolation and electronic home monitoring for this patient.”
“We will continue to work with her to provide treatment and testing to help cure her tuberculosis,” TPCHD added.
“V.N. is hereby released from isolation and electric home monitoring (“EHM”) on the following conditions of the Court, which condition may be reinstated by Court order upon a finding of non-compliance with any of the conditions,” the agreement stated.
Under the agreement, she must continue to “abide by the TB Treatment Agreement signed on June 15, 2023,” including continuing medications for treatment until completed “as dictated by TPCHD or its designee.”
She still also must agree to visitations from “any identifiable TPCHD staff; staff will administer medication and testing; should V.N. fail to take medication, court orders transport to medical facility for forced administration of medication,” according to the agreement.
Failure to comply will support “a finding of contempt,” it added.
The case began in January 2022, and the health department regularly sought court orders for compliance in the ensuing months. A civil arrest warrant was issued this year and she was arrested June 1 and jailed in a negative-pressure room at the Pierce County Jail.
She was later released June 23 to involuntary home detention with conditions that include a court-appointed visitor to check on her status, along with regular medication oversaw by TPCHD.
A review hearing on the case remains scheduled for Aug. 21.
This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 2:25 PM.
