The District

Pennsylvania's 18th District

Enews Signup Push

Print

House to Consider VA Infectious Disease Reporting Bill on Monday

1/31/14

House to Consider VA Infectious Disease Reporting Bill on Monday

Legislative Fix to Correct Failures that Led to Legionnaires’ Deaths at Pittsburgh VA Hospital
 

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 31, 2014
Contact: Murphy.press@mail.house.gov, 202.225.2301

(WASHINGTON, DC) —  Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18) announced today the House of Representativeswill consider joined efforts of leadership on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) to pass legislation requiring veterans’ hospitals to report cases of infectious diseases to state and local public health agencies.

Scheduled for floor debate on Monday, February 3rd, is H.R.357, which incorporates the provisions of the Infectious Disease Reporting Act (H.R. 1792), requiring the VA to follow the same infectious disease reporting requirements that any private hospital in a state must abide by. A VA facility could face fines and civil lawsuits for failure to comply.

“While we can never heal the emotional scars suffered by the six families who lost loved ones in the preventable outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, the Infectious Disease Reporting Act will help to ensure no one else suffers this kind of tragedy ever again. For the health and safety of our veterans, and all those who work in the facility to serve them, the VA must follow the same disease- and infection-reporting requirements every other hospital must abide by. This legislation will do just that by mandating VA hospitals notify public health agencies of a potentially deadly disease outbreak,” said Rep. Tim Murphy, who took a leading role in advancing core changes to management and operations at the Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System after the 2011-2012 Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak that killed six veterans and sickened as many as 21 others.

Rep. Murphy thanked VA Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-06), and Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (FL-01), for working with him on combining H.R. 1792 with similar legislation introduced in the House by Murphy and Rep. Mike Doyle, the Veterans Administration Disease Reporting and Oversight Act. Murphy also thanked the VA Committee leaders for taking aggressive steps to protect the health of veterans in Western Pennsylvania by conducting a hearing in Pittsburgh on September 9, 2013, which included officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs, infectious disease experts, and representatives from veterans’ service organizations. The Pittsburgh hearing examined the reporting and leadership failures, and served as an important component in developing the legislative solution to be considered in the House on Monday.

# # #

In his sixth term representing Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district encompassing suburban Pittsburgh including parts of Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene Counties, Rep. Tim Murphy also serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve Medical Service Corps as a psychologist treating Wounded Warriors with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Prior to serving in Congress, Dr. Murphy, author of “The Angry Child” and “Overcoming Passive-Aggression,” was a practicing psychologist specializing in child and family treatment.

  • Office Locations

    Office Name Location Image Map URL
    Washington DC 2332 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
    Washington, DC 20515
    Phone: (202) 225-2301
    Fax: (202) 225-1844    		 http://goo.gl/maps/mskhT
    Mt. Lebanon Office
    504 Washington Road
    Pittsburgh, PA 15228
    Phone: (412) 344-5583
    Fax: (412) 429-5092    		 http://goo.gl/maps/wSZBo
    Greensburg Office
    2040 Frederickson Place
    Greensburg, PA 15601
    Phone: (724) 850-7312
    Fax: (724) 850-7315    		 http://goo.gl/maps/sR2hU
           
           

  • HIDDEN_WEBSITE_VARIABLES

    How to use: Insert <span class="EXACT_VALUE_LABEL_AS_ENTERED_BELOW">&nbsp;</span> where you'd like the value to be populated.

    Non-breaking space within span tags - &nbsp; - is required for WYSIWYG.

    Label
    (no spaces or special characters)

    Value

    		 Comments (optional)
    repName Tim Murphy  
    helpWithFedAgencyAddress District Office
    504 Washington Road
    Pittsburgh, PA 15228    		  
    district 18th District of Pennsylvania  
    academyUSCitizenDate July 1, 2012  
    academyAgeDate July 1, 2012  
    academyApplicationDueDate October 20, 2012  
    repStateABBR PA  
    repDistrict 18  
    repState Pennsylvania  
    repDistrictText 18th  
    repPhoto  
    SponsoredBills Sponsored Bills  
    CoSponsoredBills Co-Sponsored Bills