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Rep. Murphy to VA Medical Inspector: Come to Pittsburgh VA Facilities and Contain Mold Outbreak

9/27/13

Rep. Murphy to VA Medical Inspector:  
Come to Pittsburgh VA Facilities and Contain Mold Outbreak

 

For Immediate Release: Friday, September 27, 2013
Contact: Dain Pascocello, 202.225.2301

(WASHINGTON, DC) — Rep. Tim Murphy (PA-18) today released a copy of the letter he sent to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki urging immediate action to address reports of mold contamination at both the University Drive campus and H.J. Heinz campus of the Department of Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS).

The letter requests that the Office of Medical Inspector within the Veterans Health Administration conduct inspections at the VAPHS campuses in Oakland and Aspinwall “to evaluate the health of the veterans who were exposed to mold at these facilities.” The letter continues, “Given the previous problems containing legionella, we are very concerned about the health of veterans treated in the Pittsburgh Healthcare System.”

Rep. Murphy was joined on the letter by House Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Mike Coffman (R-CO), who had previously requested that the VHA’s Office of Medical Inspector review similar cases of mold outbreaks at VA facilities in Florida and West Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns that individuals with allergies, asthma, sinusitis, and other chronic respiratory conditions can experience difficulty breathing as a result of exposure to toxigenic mold. Patients who are already immune suppressed are susceptible to increased infection risk, according to the CDC.

 “I am urging Secretary Shinseki to take rapid action in response to the reports of mold at VAPHS. Many patients at the University Campus and Heinz Campus are already immune-compromised, and mold can aggravate existing health conditions. Sec. Shinseki must direct his department to evaluate those veterans who may be medically at risk for exposure. Given the problems faced by the VA in the wake of the tragic and preventable Legionnaires’ outbreak, they must act immediately or risk damaging further their already frayed credibility,” said Murphy.

Rep. Murphy said the failure of VA officials to notify the public or report the mold outbreak to state and local health authorities highlighted the urgent need for legislation he has introduced along with Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA). The Infectious Disease Reporting Act (H.R. 1792) requires veterans’ hospitals to comply with all applicable state laws and report cases of infectious diseases like Legionnaires’ to public health agencies. Under current state law, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, which sits just a few hundred feet from the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in Oakland, is required to report infectious diseases to local and state public health agencies while the federal VA hospital is not. According to H.R. 1792, a VA facility would face fines and civil lawsuits for failure to comply with state reporting laws. The measure passed the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee in August and will head to the House floor by the fall.

A copy of the letter from Rep. Murphy, HVAC Subcommittee Chairman Coffman, and others can be viewed here.

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