Skagit County Dentist Loses License After a Decade of Severe Sanitation Failures
In February, Skagit County dentist, Jeffrey Jech, stipulated to an agreement with the Washington Department of Health, indefinitely suspending his license to practice dentistry.
This latest disciplinary action is unfortunately not the first time that Jech has failed to comply with basic sanitation and HIPAA requirements for the lawful practice of dentistry in Washington state. The most recent agreement to indefinite suspension follows from Jech’s failure to comply with the requirements of a 2023 stipulation, but similar behavior was alleged and investigated as early as 2014.
Jech received his credential to practice dentistry from the Washington Department of Health in 1983. The first records we found of interaction with the Washington Department of Health began on October 7, 2014, when a patient made an anonymous complaint.
The allegations against Jech in 2014 are stomach churning. The patient reported a “substandard dental evaluation” and concerning environment in the office. Dr. Jech had been in practice for 31 years at this point.
The statement of allegations from 2014 includes reports of the dentist practicing in street clothes without eye protection or a mask. Other allegations included no sink in the room where he was working on patients, and unsanitary use of equipment and tools. Additionally, the dentist was alleged to have been unable to provide proof of Hepatitis B vaccination, and the CPR certification he presented was 5 years expired.
Along with the sanitation allegations, the anonymous patient reported serious HIPPA violations, including transferring care of a patient to another provider without appropriate due diligence for patient privacy.
Two weeks after the anonymous patient reported Jech in 2014, Adult Protective Services reported him to the Department of Health for substandard care of an elderly woman and an “unclean office environment.”
The Department of Health proceeded to send an investigator to Dr. Jech’s office on November 19, 2014. The investigator’s findings bore out concerns in previous reports. Quoting directly from the March 2015 Statement of Allegations:
A. There was no sink in the operatory that Respondent used to treat patients:
B. Respondent did not use a barrier of the x-ray head and control. The x-ray control in the hallway opposite of the sterilization area was not covered;
C. Respondent was observed treating patients with no eye protection or mask on. The patient was also not wearing eye protection;
D. Respondent did not maintain a spore test log, and could not provide complete monitoring program test results for biological spore testing;
E. Respondent did not keep a log regarding sterile solution;
F. Respondent was not able to provide hepatitis B vaccination records and CPR/First Aid certification expired about five (5) years ago;
G. Respondent did not have an AED and blood pressure cuff onsite; and
H. Respondent was wearing street clothes when treating patients.
In addition to the poor sanitary conditions found by the investigator, Dr. Jech was also alleged to be using improper patient privacy controls.
Dr. Jech was reportedly observed discussing recommended treatment in full view and hearing of other patients in the lobby. and completed intake for a new patient, including discussing his medical history, at the front counter.
Approximately 60 photos of the conditions of the practice were forwarded to the Dental Quality Assurance Commission. After reviewing the photos, the Commission determined “that Respondent’s dental practice failed to meet infection control standards and posed a risk to patient health and safety.”
Dr. Jech stipulated an agreement with The Department of Health at that time, agreeing to hire a third party dental practice compliance consultant to recommend changes to his practice, and to comply with the recommended changes. The stipulation also required Dr. Jech to reimburse the state the $4,000 bill for the investigation.
Additionally, Jech was required to take four hours of continuing education courses on infection control and four hours of continuing education on HIPAA and patient privacy, and to take and pass the commission’s jurisprudence examination within six months of the stipulation.
It is unclear what document Dr. Jech is referring to in his handwritten note on the release, “OK!! I signed the previous one too. -JJ.”
Notably, the stipulation includes the following subsection, 2.3: “The disciplinary authority considered the following mitigating factors: A. Lack of prior disciplinary record.”
Nine months later, the Department of Health found that the agreement had been fulfilled, and released Dr. Jech from the conditions of his stipulation.
On May 23, 2023, another anonymous complaint was lodged and the Department of Health launched a second investigation into Dr. Jech. The statement of allegations in the 2023 action is nauseatingly similar to the 2014 allegations.
Quoting directly from the investigator’s findings on June 14, 2023:
A. Respondent did not maintain written infection policies and procedures.
B. Respondent did not maintain documentation of annual reviews of current office infection prevention policies.
C. Respondent did not perform waterline testing and did not maintain documentation of waterline testing results.
D. Weekly spore test logs were only available for the period of January 16, 2023 through April 7, 2023. A testing kit was located with an expiration date of July 31, 2021.
E. The high-volume evacuation (HVE) was present but not used. Sterile instruments and supplies were stored in uncovered containers on the counter.
F. The high-volume evacuation (HVE) was present but not used. Sterile instruments and supplies were stored in uncovered containers on the counter.
Four months after the second investigation uncovered continuing sanitation failures in Dr. Jech’s practice, the Department of Health and Dr. Jech stipulated a second agreement. Once again, Dr. Jech was required to hire a third party. Rather than a dental compliance consultant, the Department of Health required Dr. Jech to pay for a one-time infection control inspection by a specific provider - Harris Biomedical.
Additionally, Dr. Jech was fined $2,000 and the Department of Health committed to making three random inspections of Dr. Jech’s practice over the following two years. Once again, Dr. Jech was directed to take and pass the Commission’s jurisprudence examination.
Finally, on July 15, 2024, an investigator visited Dr. Jech’s practice unannounced and reported more of the same unprofessional behavior. The investigator found numerous infection control failures, including:
Dr. Jech leaving a patient in the chair to complete another task, but not removing his gloves, and then going directly back to the patient in the chair without changing gloves.
No sink in the patient care room
Touching contaminated instruments with bare hands
Failing to properly disinfect surfaces
Lack of protocol for removing sterilizers from use if a spore test fails
Improper disposal of needles
Uncovered ultrasonic
Unbagged and exposed tools in open drawers and tubs
Damp, moldy odors, water damage on ceiling tiles, and towels covering tubing and wiring on the floors.
Based on this report, the Department of Health finally leveled charges of Unprofessional Conduct against Dr. Jech on September 9, 2025, more than ten years after the initial complaint against him, and over a year after the final investigation in July of 2024.
Finally on September 30th of 2025, Dr. Jech stipulated to an indefinite suspension of his dental practice credential.
The Olympic Herald has requested all records related to complaints and investigations, and any email communications regarding Dr. Jech or with Dr. Jech, which are held by the Department of Health.
At this time, we have not found any evidence of restitution to patients or follow up on the patients who received dental care from Dr. Jech.