The Oklahoma State Nursing Board rejected a proposed consent order Thursday for James Hill, 55, a nurse anesthetist accused of reusing needles and exposing patients to hepatitis C. More than 50 former patients of Norman Regional Hospital's pain management clinic, where Hill worked, have tested positive for exposure to the disease. The order, developed by Hill, his attorney and the board's staff, would have required Hill to surrender his nursing license for five years and pay a $61,000 fine. After a half-hour executive session, Nursing Board President Karen Fletcher said members "would not be able to accept the surrender" of Hill's license because of the "seriousness of the issue and how many citizens were affected." "We are uncomfortable taking the action as the consent order states," she said. "The issue is one of surrender versus revocation." A hearing will be held in January to consider punishment for Hill, who has been accused of reusing needles up to 25 times a day. Hill did not attend Thursday's meeting, which angered some of his former patients.

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