...for as long as it takes
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Veterans Affairs needs stricter accountability for protecting veterans who participate in VA research programs, two House subcommittee chairmen said after hearing three hours of testimony Wednesday on abuses at two Los Angeles VA medical facilities.
The joint hearing was held both to review the suspension of over a thousand research projects at the two medical facilities and to determine if there were similar problems at other VA centers. Chairmen Terry Everett (R-AL) of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Cliff Stearns of the Subcommittee on Health were both dissatisfied with the explanations of VA officials. Chairman Everett said he wanted independent audits to go over other VA research facilities "with a fine tooth comb" and report back to the subcommittees in about six months.
Everett insisted that the VA, "not a watchdog office at NIH (National Institutes of Health)" is responsible for protecting veterans. He said today's testimony failed to persuade him that similar problems didn't exist at other VA medical facilities.
The VA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) halted the research projects after years of warnings failed to yield even minimal compliance with patient protections. Dr. Kenneth Kizer, VA Undersecretary for Health, told the Subcommittees that VA would impose stricter controls.
"I'm glad to hear that VA is now planning to set up an office for research compliance and to begin external accreditation," Everett said.
"I think the steps VA has taken in the weeks since the news regarding West Los Angeles have been positive," Chairman Stearns said. "But we clearly have a ways to go to restore confidence."
"Whenever an urban hospital performs life-endangering procedures on its patients without their consent," said Congresswoman Corinne Brown of Florida, Ranking Democratic Member of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, "I am concerned about patients who are poor, who have no other recourse for medical treatment, and are minority veterans. They have become too available for experiments that serve science but not the veterans who have already given more than this nation asked for. Congress will not tolerate this. These veterans need to trust the VA. These breaches jeopardize the good name of VA research."
"Now, speaking for myself, I would like to see VA medical research bounce back strong and vital from this," Everett said. "But I can promise that if I ever hear again of medical research without a veteran's consent at a VA facility, I will do my level best to put that facility out of the research business permanently, whether it's West LA or anywhere else."
Disclaimer of Endorsement:
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by VNIS. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of VNIS, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. VNIS is not a government agency and is a sole proprietorship, own and operated by Christian L. Wilson USN/Ret
