VA to face lawmakers’ questions after report finds continued problems with colonoscopies

VA to face lawmakers’ questions on colonoscopies

WASHINGTON — 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.

The strong reaction came as the agency’s inspector general reported at a House hearing that fewer than half of VA facilities selected for surprise inspections last month had proper training and guidelines in place. That was months after the VA launched a nationwide safety campaign over the discovery of errors at three facilities in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee that could have exposed veterans to HIV and other infections.

Lawmakers said the new information raises concerns that problems with common endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies could be far more widespread than initially believed.

“You certainly would think that after the initial discoveries and the directive from the VA that medical directors would make sure that all of their equipment and procedures were brought into line and yet this investigation shows that many, many did not,” said Filner, who praised the VA for being transparent about the mistakes. “There will be a public accounting of this situation.”