Dear VA, get your s*&# together! 1,800 vets may have been infected

[Ronin13]

So now the latest, that the empty chair at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave probably won't give a shit about, is that reportedly a VA Hospital in Missouri may have exposed up to 1,800 veterans to diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV.

VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV

A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.


John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently mailed letters to 1,812 veterans telling them they could contract hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after visiting the medical center for dental work, said Rep. Russ Carnahan.
Carnahan said Tuesday he is calling for a investigation into the issue and has sent a letter to President Obama about it.


"This is absolutely unacceptable," said Carnahan, a Democrat from Missouri. "No veteran who has served and risked their life for this great nation should have to worry about their personal safety when receiving much needed healthcare services from a Veterans Administration hospital."


The issue stems from a failure to clean dental instruments properly, the hospital told CNN affiliate KSDK.


Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the hospital, told the affiliate that some dental technicians broke protocol by handwashing tools before putting them in cleaning machines.


The instruments were supposed to only be put in the cleaning machines, Michael said.


The handwashing started in February 2009 and went on until March of this year, the hospital told KSDK.


The hospital has set up a special clinic and education centers to help patients who may have been infected. However, Carnahan said he feels more should be done and those responsible should be disciplined.


"I can only imagine the horror and anger our veterans must be feeling after receiving this letter," Carnahan said. "They have every right to be angry. So am I."
This is not the first time this year a hospital has been in hot water for not following proper procedures.


In June, Palomar Hospital in San Diego, California, has sent certified letters to 3,400 patients who underwent colonoscopy and other similar procedures, informing the patients that there may be a potential of infection from items used and reused in the procedures.
Source

I'm so relieved that a letter has been sent to Obama. That way he can claim it got lost in the mail when he once again does nothing to help us veterans. I really wish our government gave a damn about us. Imagine if you got a letter saying you may have been exposed to HIV...

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Oh that is lovely.

[jerrymrc]

I do not think they will care. They did not care when 1000's of us active duty were exposed to bad blood in Europe in the 80's.

[Irving]

My neighbor is in a big fight with the VA over his cancer.

[TFOGGER]

I am unclear how handwashing the dental instruments prior to running them through the ultrasonic/autoclave process made them dirtier than just running through the automated cleaner. Or maybe the author got their facts confused?

[jerrymrc]

I am unclear how handwashing the dental instruments prior to running them through the ultrasonic/autoclave process made them dirtier than just running through the automated cleaner. Or maybe the author got their facts confused?

Does not make sense to me as well. Normal for hard items is rinse, ultrasonic and autoclave. Methinks someone screwed up the story. For years many dental items were only hand washed and cold sterilized (Cidex).

[Ronin13]

Well the story is from CNN...

[Ridge]

And from 2010

[Ronin13]

And from 2010

Damn! I didn't see that... My bad. Still, the VA has been shitting the bed the last few years.

[Eric P]

The VA should go away as it currently exists and replaced by a VA insurance program. No need for vets to travel to VA hospitals when there are perfectly fine and often better hospitals in their home town.