Senate hearing sought on Dayton VA dental clinic

February 12, 2011

va-dental-clinic--1079474.html

DAYTON DAILY NEWS

continuing coverage

By Ben Sutherly, Staff Writer

February 11, 2011

DAYTON — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown on Friday called failures in infection control

at the Dayton VA Medical Center’s dental clinic “an outrage” and requested a

Senate hearing.

His comments came three days after the Dayton VA offered free screenings to at

least 535 veterans to see if they were infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or

HIV at the dental clinic between 1992 and July 2010.

The veterans had been seen by a dentist who failed to change latex gloves

between appointments and did not sterilize dental equipment properly.

At least one former clinic supervisor took little action after he was told of

the dentist’s poor infection control practices.

“This is outrageous that it’s happened,” Brown, a member of the Senate’s

veterans’ affairs committee, said Friday. “It’s outrageous that no one has blown

the whistle on this.”

Brown said he wanted to know the full extent of what happened.

“When something this serious happens, people who are responsible have to be held

responsible,” he said. In a prepared statement Friday, the Dayton VA said,

“failure to follow infection control procedures is not acceptable and we take

the safety of our patients seriously. We are deeply sorry for the concern this

circumstance has caused veterans and their families. The administrative action

process has been initiated to ensure ... liable consequences are implemented to

address disappointing actions.”

The Dayton VA has declined to identify the 81-year-old dentist by name. He

hasn’t seen patients since July 28

..

“It would at least be questioned that someone at that age was still practicing,”

Brown said.

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