In late 2008 and early 2009, the VA was plagued by a rash of reports about contaminated endoscopic equipment, including devices used to perform the colonoscopy procedure.

In some cases, the VA felt there may have been a risk of infection, so they notified veterans who had specific procedures performed at some VA facilities to be tested for possible exposure to HIV, and hepatitis B and C.

Because of variations in equipment cleaning procedures and variations in VA's self-reporting guidelines on how the equipment was cleaned, questions were raised about a possible nationwide problem with contaminated equipment.

On this page, we are posting all of the articles about VA's contaminated equipment.

Also, note VA's history of problems with endoscopic devices (at bottom of page).

We will add more information is at becomes available... and, we will go back and research any earlier incidents of contamination and post that information as well.

The newest articles are at the top of the page.
 

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DECEMBER 2009

FDA ORDERS HOSPITALS TO STOP USING ENDOSCOPE STERILIZER (12-14-09)   FDA told hospitals, including the VA, to stop using a popular endoscope sterilizer made by Steris Corp., after the agency could not verify the safety of the product.

OCTOBER 2009

VA HOLDS 41 EMPLOYEES "ACCOUNTABLE" FOR CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT (10-21-09)   "VA has held 41 employees accountable for these events and has initiated disciplinary action, with additional investigations still underway."

SEPTEMBER 2009

VAOIG: FOLLOW-UP REPORT ON VA'S CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT (09-18-09)   Among the 129 facilities inspected in August, all 129 were compliant with respect to SOPs.

AUGUST 2009

AUGUSTA VA CHIEF SAYS NO MORE CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT (08-28-09)   Claims she is "100% sure" the hospital has corrected sterilization problems.

HIV POSITIVE VETERAN WILL SUE VA (08-20-09)   A Florida vet who claims he contracted HIV during a colonoscopy at the Miami VA hospital said his attorneys have filed a notice that he will sue.

JULY 2009

VET SAYS HE COULD BE SOURCE OF HIV CONTAMINATION (07-30-09)   He says his conscience is clear because he warned the VA about his HIV-positive status.

VA'S INFECTED VETS TO FILE FOR DISABILITY (07-28-09)   An attorney is preparing to ask the VA to pay disability benefits and damages for hospital mistakes that may have exposed veterans to infectious body fluids.

INFECTED VETERAN COUNT CONTINUES RISE, NOW AT 57 (07-20-09)   VA still accepts no blame for viral infections caused by possibly contaminated equipment.

INFECTED VETERAN COUNT RISES TO 56 (07-13-09)   This as VA sends letter offering care to infected vets, something for which they already qualified.

VA WON'T TALK ABOUT COMPENSATION FOR INFECTED VETERANS (07-03-09)   VA has made no offer of any special compensation and won't comment about any potential benefit beyond continuing to provide medical care.

JUNE 2009

VA'S INFECTED VETERAN COUNT NOW AT 55 (06-27-09)   Infected veteran tally: 12 with hepatitis B, 36 with hepatitis C and 7 with HIV.

VETS' GROUPS, ADVOCATES, SAY VA MEDICAL SYSTEM IN SHAMBLES (06-25-09)   Rep. Harry Mitchell: "...Shoddy standards - systemic across the VA - put veterans at risk..."

AKAKA CALLS FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES AT THE VA -- "True quality assurance has to be managed across the system and that means central office must exercise greater control."

CIVILIAN HOSPITALS TIGHTEN INFECTION CONTROL (06-22-09)   Non-VA hospitals are double-checking their inspection procedures to avoid contaminated endoscopic equipment.

VA MUM ON CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT, VETS FRUSTRATED (06-22-09)   VA will not say how widespread the contaminated equipment problem might be, leaving veterans in fear of infection.

VA'S FAILURES HIGHLIGHT CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT HEARING (06-17-09)   VAOIG says, "We think there are systemic issues." Rep. Bob Filner adds, "There will be a public accounting of this situation."

VAOIG FINDS FUNDAMENTAL DEFECTS IN VA HEALTH CARE (06-16-09)   On contaminated equipment: The failure of medical facilities to comply on such a large scale with repeated alerts and directives suggests fundamental defects in organizational structure.

VAOIG: VA'S CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT COULD BE WIDESPREAD (06-16-09)   Leaked VAOIG report states only 43% of VA facilities had proper training and guidelines in place for endoscopic procedures.

VETS HOPE FOR REAL ANSWERS ON VA'S CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT (06-16-09)   "I don't know if there is anything they could say that would make me happy, not after they did something like this."

FORMER VA SURGEON TOSSES BARBS AT AGENCY (06-15-09)   Faults VA health management for arrogance, lack of knowledge, lack of understanding and lack of integrity.

HOW WILL VA HANDLE HEARING ON CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT? (06-15-09)   Expert says veterans could have had infections for years: "Probably all of the infections that are being reported are infections people already had."

VA'S INFECTED VETERAN TALLY NOW STANDS AT 53 (06-13-09)   Screening of veterans exposed to VA's contaminated equipment reveals more viral infections.

STERILIZATION PROBLEMS DELAY SURGERIES AT KANSAS CITY VA (06-10-09)   Why were the surgical instruments at the Kansas City VA coming out of sterilization with rusty-looking stains, gray film and residue?

VA'S INFECTED VETERAN COUNT JUMPS TO 50 (06-06-09)   Both Houses of Congress to hold hearings on VA's contaminated equipment.

MAY 2009

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE TO PROBE VA'S CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT (05-30-09)   Panel will question VA officials about mistakes that put patients at risk of possible exposure to HIV and other infectious body fluids.

MIAMI VA DOES OUTREACH TO FIND POSSIBLY INFECTED VETS (05-30-09)   VA officials are also trying to change the minds of 72 veterans who have been notified but have declined testing.

INFECTED VETERAN COUNT CONTINUES TO GROW (05-30-09)   VA reports 48 vets with viral infections from possibly contaminated equipment.

FIVE MORE VETERANS INFECTED, VA HIDES STATISTICS (05-25-09)   More vets test positive for viral infections as VA buries statistics on contaminated equipment infections in maze of web pages.

REP. TELLS VA TO FIND VETS EXPOSED TO DIRTY EQUIPMENT (05-22-09)   "We just can't say, 'Oh well we tried our best.' It's shameful and it sounds like a bad movie plot."

VA CONFIRMS OTHER POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION PROBLEMS (05-16-09)   Infected veteran count up to 39 as VA says expanding blood tests to other locations would cause unnecessary patient "anxiety."

MANY VETS NOT BEING TESTED FOR VIRAL EXPOSURE (05-14-09)   Over 1,000 veterans who may have been exposed to disease during colonoscopy exams at the Miami VA have not had tests performed.

DOCTOR SAYS VETS CAN'T PROVE VA INFECTED THEM (05-09-09)   VA's chief patient safety officer says vets can't prove they were exposed to contaminated equipment or HIV virus.

PUNISHMENT FOR VA'S CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT (05-08-09)   Editorial from the Tennessean dot Com says a slap on the hand just won't do.

INFECTED VET COUNT RISES TO 38, 5 WITH HIV (05-02-09)   VA releases new figures on number of veterans with viral infections in wake of contaminated equipment debacle.

APRIL 2009

CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT MAY GO BEYOND VA (04-27-09)   "...It is quite unlikely that the problems will be limited to only VA facilities."

VA SAYS 30 VETERANS NOW INFECTED (04-25-09)   Contaminated equipment infection count rises as VA refuses to address magnitude of problem.

VA'S FALSE POSITIVE INFECTION REPORT ANGERS VET (04-24-09)   "It leaves me with a feeling that I can't trust the VA medical community."

FEMALE VET CLAIMS HPV INFECTION FROM VA (04-21-09)   Vet has anal and rectal cancer she claims came from HPV exposure after colonoscopy at VA.

VA'S FACT SHEET ON INFECTED VETERANS (04-18-09)   Regularly-updated web page details infection count in wake of contaminated equipment scare.

VA SAYS 28 VETS NOW INFECTED, 3 WITH HIV (04-18-09)   VA still claims there's no way vets can prove they became infected from contaminated equipment.

EDITORIAL: VA EQUIPMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STERILIZED (04-15-09)   The Leaf Chronicle editorial board takes VA to task over contaminated equipment.

QUESTIONS TO VA ON CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT GO UNANSWERED (04-05-09)

VA BREAKS SILENCE ON CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT SCARE (04-04-09)   Press release calls it a "reprocessing issue." 17 vets now infected.

I spoke with a surgeon at a major VA facility about the contaminated equipment problem. (04-03-09)

VA IS MISHANDLING CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT SCARE (04-01-09)

The Veterans' Service Organizations (VSOs) haven't jumped into VA's contaminated equipment debacle because they don't want to "pile on." (04-01-09)

Why don't we have statements about the VA's contaminated equipment problems from Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), House Vets' Chair and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Senate Vets' Chair? (04-01-09)

The media is getting mixed messages from VA about the contaminated equipment problems. (04-01-09)

MARCH 2009

EDITORIAL: SLOPPY PROCEDURES PUT LIVES AT RISK (03-31-09)   Miami Herald: No reason for VA hospitals not to follow rules for patient safety.

TENNESSEE VETS LOSE TRUST IN VA AFTER HEALTH SCARE (03-31-09)   "It's hard to get it off my mind. It just makes me sick to think of the unsanitary conditions ... the nastiness."

VA LEAVES ONE CHOICE IN WAKE OF CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT SCARE --
GET SCREENED (03-30-09)   Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland: "If you've had any procedure
suffixed with 'scope' or 'oscopy,' you should get in line and have your blood drawn."

UPDATE: REP. STEVE BUYER SAYS IF VET IS INFECTED, "VA IS RESPONSIBLE" (03-28-09)   Ranking Member on House Vets' Committee says of infected vets, "I believe the numbers will grow."

UPDATE: MIAMI VA HALTS COLONOSCOPIES AS INVESTIGATORS MOVE IN (03-28-09)
A five-member VA team is in Miami to investigate who or what is responsible for the lapse in cleaning procedures.

UPDATE: INFECTED VET COUNT FROM CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT NOW STANDS AT 16 (03-28-09)   Ten vets who got a colonoscopy at Murfreesboro and six who had an ENT endoscopic exam at Augusta are infected.

VA'S UNCERTAINTY ABOUT CONTAMINATED EQUIPMENT PROMPTS CALL FOR SCREENING (03-28-09)   All vets who have had a colonoscopy in the past ten years should be screened for HIV, and hepatitis B & C.

VA NOW SAYS IT'S "UNSURE" OF EXTENT OF EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATION (03-27-09)   VA spokesperson on possibility of nationwide problem: "We don't know for certain."

UPDATE: REP. STEVE BUYER SAYS VA'S SELF-REPORTING ON CONTAMINATION IS FLAWED (03-27-09)   Miami VA claimed no contamination problems in January of 2009 but changed that report in March.

UPDATE: VA WON'T REVEAL EXTENT OF EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATION (03-27-09)   The VA declined to answer four AP requests over the past week about the results of a nationwide review.

UPDATE: TEN "COLONOSCOPY VETS" TEST POSITIVE AT MURFREESBORO VA (03-26-09)   VA confirms ten vets infected, but won't identify disease or put blame on unsanitary colonoscopy equipment.

LAWMAKERS JUMP ON THE VA COLONOSCOPY BANDWAGON, DEMAND IG INVESTIGATION (03-26-08)   The list is long, the rhetoric often harsh, with some speaking of a "systemic" VA problem.

VA TAKES A MEDIA BEATING ON COLONOSCOPY SCARE, BUT DID THE RIGHT THING (03-25-08)   VA released information on possible infections at Miami facility discovered by pro-active "Step-Up" program.

VIDEO UPDATE2: VA IDENTIFIES TWO DIFFERENT PROBLEMS WITH UNSANITARY COLONOSCOPY EQUIPMENT (03-25-08)   From CNN News, Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

VIDEO UPDATE: VETERANS AT RISK FOR DISEASE FROM COLONOSCOPY EQUIPMENT (03-24-08)   From CNN News, Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

UNSANITARY COLONOSCOPY EQUIPMENT EXPOSES MORE VETS TO DISEASE (03-24-09)   First Murfreesboro. Now, the Miami VA hospital. Could this be a nationwide problem?

VETS TEST POSITIVE FOR HEPATITIS AFTER MURFREESBORO VA COLONOSCOPY DEBACLE (03-12-09)   However, VA claims "...there have been no positive results reported for any of the patients that have been tested."

FEBRUARY 2009

IS THE VA PLAYING BY NEW RULES WHEN IT COMES TO DISCLOSING PROBLEMS? (02-10-09)   Pre-emptive press release and nationwide training effort seem to signal a change for the better.

VA Implementing National Safety “Step-Up” -- February 9, 2009 -- Department of Veterans' Affairs Press Release

Veterans notified of possible problem with health screenings -- February 9, 2009

JANUARY 2009

UPDATE: MURFREESBORO VA VOLUNTEER CALLS SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS DIRTY (01-04-09)   A volunteer who said she's seen instruments delivered day after day in the women's and dental clinic for 20 years said they're often dirty.

MURFREESBORO VA WITHHOLDS INFORMATION ON POSSIBLE INFECTION THREAT FROM COLONOSCOPY (01-02-09)   TV station learns that VA has known of infection risk for nearly a month, but vets have not been notified.

AUGUST 2008

FARGO VA NOTIFIES VETERANS OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK (08-18-08)   May have been exposed to an infection because the instrument used for endoscopic procedures was not properly cleaned.

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