"Rebuilding Confidence among Middle TN Vets"
June 19, 2009
By Bart Gordon
In December, officials at the Alvin York VA Hospital in Murfreesboro discovered that an endoscopy machine used for colon cancer screening had not been properly equipped with a specific valve. As a result, more than 6,800 veterans were at risk of having been infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV – all blood borne diseases.
On June 16th, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a congressional hearing entitled “Endoscopy Procedures: What Happened, What Has Changed?” I don’t sit on this Committee but received special permission to participate in the hearing and voice my concerns on behalf of the Middle Tennessee veterans.
Since the problem was revealed, 28 of the veterans who received a colonoscopy at the York VA during the period in question tested positive for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV. While there may be no way to definitively determine if the Murfreesboro VA caused any or all of these infections, one thing is certain – veterans’ confidence in the VA health system has been shaken.
One of the veterans I heard from served in Vietnam and is 100% disabled. Fortunately, he tested negative for the infections. However, he told me he would not have another colonoscopy until he was reassured this type of error couldn’t happen again. I voiced this concern at the hearing and encouraged the VA to be forthcoming with veterans about how the situation is being handled to assure them all precautionary measures are being taken to avoid the problem from occurring again.
Another veteran I spoke with from Lewisburg, who tested positive for Hepatitis C, recently lost his job. He is only rated 30% disabled and has great concerns about how he is going to afford the necessary treatment.
I also asked the VA to consider waiving any costs associated with the treatment now needed by the infected veterans. Most veterans are required to pay a fee for non-service-connected treatment at the VA hospitals.
The VA officials at the hearing didn’t have an answer to my question regarding treatment payments. Immediately after the hearing, I wrote a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Eric Shinseki, asking that he directly respond to the question of waiving treatment costs for the infected veterans.
A mistake was no doubt made with the endoscopy machine, and it is hard to say if the situation could have been prevented. However, paying for the treatment costs would definitely be one step in the right direction to rebuild the confidence veterans have in the Murfreesboro VA.
If you have any questions or concerns about the situation, please feel free to contact me at 615-896-1986. I remain committed to ensuring veterans get the quality health care they deserve.
U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon of Murfreesboro represents Tennessee's Sixth District in the House of Representatives. where he is the chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee.
