Veterans IG: Hospitals progressing on fix for breakdowns in cleaning endoscopic equipment

September 23rd, 2009 Congress challenges bonuses at Veterans AffairsWASHINGTON — Lawmakers on Wednesday questioned whether millions of dollars in bonuses were appropriately awarded to employees at the Veterans Affairs Department. The agency's inspector general recently found that over a two-year period, $24 million in bonuses were awarded to technology office employees at the VA, some under questionable circumstances.

July 2nd, 2009 VA silent on compensating for endoscopic mistakesCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — An attorney for veterans potentially exposed to HIV and other infections by colonoscopies at three Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals said his clients are waiting to hear if they will be compensated for mistakes that led to congressional hearings and new VA spending on patient safety.

June 16th, 2009 VA to face lawmakers' questions on colonoscopiesWASHINGTON — Lawmakers sharply criticized the Department of Veterans Affairs on Tuesday about why a national scare over botched colonoscopies earlier this year didn't prompt stronger safeguards at the agency's medical centers. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has pledged to take disciplinary action over the matter.

June 16th, 2009 APNewsBreak: VA inspections show continued flawsWASHINGTON — Fewer than half of Veterans Affairs centers given a surprise inspection last month had proper training and guidelines in place for common endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies — even after the agency learned that mistakes may have exposed thousands of veterans to HIV and other diseases. The findings, from the VA's inspector general and obtained by The Associated Press, suggest that errors in colonoscopies and other minimally invasive procedures performed at VA facilities may be more widespread than initially believed.

June 16th, 2009 VA officials grilled over botched colonoscopiesWASHINGTON — Lawmakers sharply criticized the Veterans Affairs Department on Tuesday about why a national scare over botched colonoscopies earlier this year didn't prompt stronger safeguards at the agency's medical centers. Agency officials apologized for the continued weaknesses and told a House subcommittee they would do better.

June 15th, 2009 AP NewsBreak: VA inspections show continued flawsWASHINGTON — Fewer than half of Veterans Affairs centers given a surprise inspection last month had proper training and guidelines in place for common endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies — even after the agency learned that mistakes may have exposed thousands of veterans to HIV and other diseases. The findings, from the VA's inspector general and obtained by The Associated Press, suggest that errors in colonoscopies and other minimally invasive procedures performed at VA facilities may be more widespread than initially believed.

June 14th, 2009 Hearing to air VA explanation of hospital mistakesCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — After months of health worries for more than 10,000 veterans, officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs are expected to face a congressional panel Tuesday and explain how mistakes at three hospitals in the Southeast may have exposed patients to HIV and other infectious diseases.

June 14th, 2009 Hearing to air VA mistakes with hospital equipmentCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A congressional panel is pressing the Department of Veterans Affairs to disclose on Tuesday whether non-sterile equipment that may have exposed 10,000 veterans to HIV and other infections was isolated to three Southeast hospitals or is part of a wider problem.

May 29th, 2009 Congressional panel to analyze VA hospital mishapsCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A congressional panel will question Department of Veterans Affairs officials about mistakes that put patients at risk of possible exposure to HIV and other infectious body fluids at three VA hospitals.

May 12th, 2009 Miami VA: Steps taken to prevent contaminationMIAMI — The top Veterans Affairs official in Miami said Tuesday she has taken steps locally to prevent the kind of problems that exposed patients to contaminated medical equipment at VA hospitals in three states. Mary D. Berrocal, director of the Miami VA Healthcare System, told The Associated Press she has hired someone in Miami to supervise training, make sure biomedical equipment works properly there and ensure the problems aren't repeated.

May 12th, 2009 Miami VA chief: Steps taken to stop contaminationMIAMI — The top Veterans Affairs official in Miami said Tuesday she has taken steps locally to prevent the kind of problems that exposed patients to contaminated medical equipment at VA hospitals in three states. Mary D. Berrocal, director of the Miami VA Healthcare System, told The Associated Press she has hired someone in Miami to supervise training, make sure biomedical equipment works properly there and ensure the problems aren't repeated.

May 9th, 2009 Doctor: HIV infections will never be traced to VAMURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Former patients who tested positive for HIV or hepatitis will not be able to show they were infected by tainted equipment at U.S.

May 2nd, 2009 VA: 5th HIV case linked to unsterile equipmentMIAMI — A fifth patient has tested positive for HIV, and seven more tested positive for hepatitis after being exposed to contaminated medical equipment at three Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, the agency said Friday. That brings the total who have tested positive for hepatitis to 33.

April 24th, 2009 VA reports 4th HIV case since dirty equipment usedCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Department of Veterans Affairs says a fourth person exposed to dirty equipment at its hospitals has tested positive for HIV.

April 24th, 2009 Magnitude of dirty VA hospital equipment unknownCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Thousands of veterans were at first shocked to learn they should get blood tests for HIV and hepatitis because three hospitals might have treated them with unsterile equipment.