Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  We are all appalled that dental instruments were not properly sterilized at the Cochran VA Dental Clinic here in St. Louis.  Unfortunately, this is a sign that serious problems affecting the health of our Nation’s veterans have not been corrected—even after the recent tragedies at the Marion VA Medical Center in my state and the temporary closing of the supply processing department here just months ago.

This is quite an egregious situation, given that it was more than one year before it was determined that the proper procedures were not being followed.  And the proposed solution—turning over sterilization to the supply processing department—raises even more questions.  According to the July 7, 2010, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “the cleaning of endoscopes was moved from the supply processing department to the gastrointestinal unit after problems surfaced with equipment not being properly cleaned.

“Hospital leaders closed the department for two weeks in December and January to train staff and to sterilize all endoscopes, which are used in colonoscopies and other procedures.

“A month later, after receiving a complaint about endoscope sterilization, Veterans Affairs inspectors visited the hospital and found several health and safety infractions. The temperature in the sterilization area was too high, rags and gloves were ‘strewn about’ in the decontamination areas, filters had not been changed as required, a technician was not wearing protective gear, chemical test strips were left exposed, emergency exits were blocked, and employees were unsure whether an unattended endoscope was sterile, according to an inspection report issued in April by the VA’s Office of Inspector General.”

I hope that the precautionary tests being given to veterans who were treated during the time in question reveal no adverse health conditions.  This is certainly traumatic for those men and women who had dental work done at the clinic.

My colleagues and I are asking Secretary Shinseki to follow through on investigating the actions that led to this critical safety lapse and to take steps to ensure patient safety standards are upheld at all VA facilities, including dealing with infected patients.  We urge Secretary Shinseki to make sure promises are kept to strengthen VA oversight of sterilization practices and enhance regulations to protect veterans from infection and reduce the chance of such a lapse happening in the future.

As we have learned from the situation at Marion, problems such as these do not occur overnight and are not solved overnight.  This is a corporate culture issue that must be solved.  And without follow-up, they will continue to occur.  While we are now fired up to show our concern, let us not leave here and forget our veterans one more time.  I have a long, established relationship with Secretary Shinseki and am biased in my belief in and support of him.  He has a big job, and if he needs help separating the wheat from the chaff, let us give him the tools to do so.

I welcome my colleagues to the bi-State area and thank you for taking the time to come to St. Louis for this important discussion.