Live from Capitol Hill: House VA Subcommittee listens to testimony on Philadelphia VA's brachytherapy program

This morning, the House VA Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to discuss the recent brachytherapy issues at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and issues surrounding the prostate cancer procedures at VA health care facilities nationwide.

Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) chaired the hearing along with ranking member David Roe (R-Tenn.). The subcommittee reiterated concerns from the last hearing that the issues uncovered at the Philadelphia VA may be indicative of a system-wide issue.

To view video from today's hearing, Click Here.

To view a list of today's witnesses and read their statements, Click Here.

American Veteran originally reported on the preliminary hearing at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center late last month. Check back shortly with American Veteran Online for details of today's hearing.

Capitol Hill Update: Cancer Treatment Hearing Postponed

Earlier in the week, we mentioned a hearing in the House Committee on Veterans Affairs on the Philadelphia VA Medical Center's brachytherapy issues. Unfortunately, the hearing has been postponed until Wednesday, July 22.

To view the committee's calendar of upcoming events, including the brachytherapy hearing, Click Here.

In the meantime, check back regularly with American Veteran Online for updates on AMVETS' work on Capitol Hill.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will look back at the Fourth of July and ways in which AMVETS commemorated our nation's birth around the country.

We will also catch up with the AMVETS Legislative Department, as Congress reconvenes. On Wednesday, American Veteran will cover another hearing on the VA brachytherapy issue, as well as the development of the VA and Defense budgets in the Senate.

American Veteran's editorial staff is also in the final stages of building the summer issue of the magazine, where we will discuss the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which is set to roll out on August 1.

We also continue to follow the situation in Afghanistan, where an American soldier remains missing in action and Marines have commenced major operations against the Taliban.

As always, we're eager to hear from Posts and Departments about the unique programs and events taking place around the country. We also continue to look for submissions for our "Women in Service" feature.

Be sure to check in regularly with American Veteran Online for updates.

Pennsylvania Congressional Leaders Look for Answers on Philadelphia VA Cancer Treatment

Yesterday, Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) convened a special field hearing of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs in an effort to determine what went wrong with the Philadelphia VA Hospital's prostate cancer treatment unit late in June.

Last week, the New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer broke stories about botched prostate cancer treatments at the Philadelphia VA resulting from misplaced radioactive "seeds" designed to slowly treat the disease through a procedure known as brachytherapy. The media painted a grim picture of the Philadelphia VA's "rogue cancer unit," which appeared to lack proper oversight for its prostate cancer treatment.

The stories focused on a retired Air Force veteran, Rev. Ricardo Fillipin, whose prostate cancer treatment resulted in severe radiation burns that needed immediate attention outside of the VA health care system. Adding insult to injury, Fillipin received a letter from the VA four years later acknowledging a “possible” mistake.

Yesterday's hearing presented a much different story about the Philadelphia VA and the doctor embroiled in the controversy, University of Pennsylvania Dr. Gary Kao, who was contracted by the Philadelphia VA to perform brachytheraphy. Reps. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) and John Adler (D-N.J.) joined Specter to preside over the hearing and ask pointed questions of each witness.

Of particular interest during the hearing were the assertions by the Philadelphia VA and Dr. Kao that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) actually had proper oversight of the facility, as did VA administrators. In fact, VA's acting undersecretary for health, Dr. Gerald Cross, noted that the Philadelphia VA's brachytherapy program had been reviewed by independent agencies on several occasions, and all indicators pointed to a program that exceeded national standards.

Dr. Kao also testified that misplaced seeds are common in brachytherapy and do not necessarily connote a "botched procedure" by the NRC. NRC representative Steve Reynolds refuted this statement, an assertion that the panelists seemed reluctant to accept based on further evidence provided by Dr. Kao. Representative Fattah went as far as to say that the issues raised by the Philadelphia VAMC's brachytherapy missteps may be indicative of a broader health problem within the private health care industry.

During a touching moment, Dr. Kao attempted to make amends with Fillipin for the suffering he endured as a result of botched treatments, telling Fillipin that he deserved better care and he deserved to know what happened.

VA has come under fire for several key oversight issues in the last few months as the result of numerous internal investigations. AMVETS leaders are keeping a close eye on all of these issues to ensure that VA delivers appropriate care to all affected veterans. Congress will once again address the VA brachytherapy issue in a hearing before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs after the Fourth of July recess. Check back with American Veteran Online as details of this story continue to unfold. To view a list of witnesses from yesterday’s hearing and to read their statements, Click Here.

(Photo: Dr. Gary Kao testifies before Sen. Arlen Specter, Rep. Chaka Fattah and Rep. John Adler at a special Congressional hearing on the Philadelphia VA's recent brachytherapy controversy. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)