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Dayton VA Center-AMERICA: Home of the Free-BECAUSE of the Brave,
Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 09:01AM America, Home of the Free,
BECAUSE of the Brave!
The Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center has breached the trust of the old soldiers who seek their help.
Dirty VA Dentist Documents Released
See this Dayton Daily News Update about this case:
The lack of leadership among the clinical managers and administration have permitted a VA dentist to totally flout the clear Blood Borne Pathogens Regulations.
This rogue dentist is alleged (according to VA Reports):
- Either did not wear gloves or never changed gloves between patients
- Did not allow his instruments to be sterilized
- Seemed to not understand the seriousness of his lack of Barrier Protections
As a result over 500 of this Dentist’s patients have been exposed to life threatening blood borne infections. Apparently up to the present, none have been found to be HIV positive, but a number have contracted Hepatitis Types B and or C.
The OSHA rules are completely effective in making dentistry safe—if the rules are followed.
However, the Clinic chief Hospital Administration, and co-workers apparently ignored the violations and thus exposed the dental clinic patients to their infections.
These are life-threatening infections. The Veterans deserved better from the Dayton Medical Center. Having survived the battlefield, how ironic to have been attacked by those tasked with their medical and dental care.
The career paths of the Dental Clinic Chief and Hospital Administration were smoothed by pretending there are no problems in their facility. Often, in this scenario, the “problem” is promoted or simply ignored so that efficiency reports of the managers will tell a false story of serenity and progress. Everyone will get their promotion and pension when the Conspiracy of Silence is maintained.
The same political correctness suffused the career of the jihadist Major Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas. It took the mass shooting and massacre to bring managerial attention his deviant performance.
Soldiers and Veterans deserve better. Political correctness and careerism within the VA could have the same lethal effects as sure as the weapons Major Hasan was allowed to carry out his murders.
There is no lack of Standard Operating Procdedures within the VA. The problem is that Little Men(and Women) revel in being able to point to the RuleBook when it eases their duties and reduces the demands for leadership. The Crime is that these same execrable managers averted their gaze and allowed the threat to Veterans that occurred on their watch at the Dayton Veterans Medical Center.
Our Soldiers Deserve Better.
America, Home of the Free,
Because of the Brave!
UPDATE: 11 MAR 2011
Re-Arranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — The Department of Veteran Affairs has changed directors of the Dayton VA
The Dayton Daily News reported Friday that Guy Richardson has been replaced with William Montague. Montague is coming out of retirement after earlier serving as VA medical center director in Cleveland and also heading other centers.
A probe that began after allegations that a dentist had for years performed procedures without changing latex gloves or sterilizing instruments led to testing of hundreds of former patients. Officials announced recently that nine had tested positive for hepatitis infections, which can cause liver damage.
Officials said they didn't know whether the hepatitis resulted from the dental visits to the center.
The VA says Richardson was reassigned.
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Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com
Update: April 5, 2011:
2 patients of Ohio VA dental clinic have hepatitis
A spokesman has confirmed cases of hepatitis B in two patients of a Dayton VA Medical Center clinic where a dentist didn't follow proper infection control procedures.
The Dayton Daily News reports Veterans Affairs officials have not determined whether the patients contracted the disease at the clinic.
VA spokesman Todd Sledge says the two patients have been notified.
Hundreds of people recently were offered screenings for infections after officials learned a dentist had long failed to consistently follow the infection control standard of changing latex gloves between patients.
Three more patients tested newly positive for hepatitis C, though it's not clear if those cases were false positives. Sledge says it's possible they have the virus but it's not active.
Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: