VA MEDICAL CENTER BOTCHES TREATMENT OF PROSTATE CANCER PATIENTS
Imagine you have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Your doctor prescribes brachytherapy (a fairly common treatment for early stages of the disease). You put your faith in the medical team responsible for your care, go through with the treatment, and later find out that you received an incorrect dosage.
In fact, this happened to 92 out of 116 veterans with prostate cancer at the VA Medical Center in Philadephia, a teaching hospital. According to recent reports, 57 men received less radiation than they required and 35 men received more radiation than they required, including 25 men who received too much radiation to the rectum.
How Could This Happen?
There was no oversight. This debacle went on for well over six years, despite speculations at the outset (in 2002, when the program began) questioning the quality of treatment being provided. In fact, according to The New York Times, even the radiation safety committee at the hopsital was aware there were problems, but took no corrective action.
At the heart of this controversy is Dr. Gary D. Kao, a physician who administered brachytherapy at the VA hospital. It has been reported by The Times that in one instance, when Dr. Kao implanted radioactive seeds into a patient, most of them ended up in the patient’s healthy bladder and not the prostate. Then, Dr. Kao rewrote his surgical plan “to match the seeds in the prostate.” As a result, the treatment plan failed, and the patient had to undergo a second implant. The second implant failed as well, but this time adversely affected the patient’s rectum.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission . . .
The NRC launched its own investigation and found:
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There was no independent review of any records;
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Brachytherapy staff had not received training on detecting errors or reporting them; and,
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Radiation safety monitors conducted quarterly audits but never detected problems.
Although the program has been shut down, the implications of the hospital’s inadequate treatment on cancer patients are far-reaching, and have not escaped the notice of Senator Arlen Spector (D-PA). Senator Spector has called for a field hearing in Philadelphia on June 29th, saying “These allegations are very serious. They deserve a full and prompt review, and that’s what we intend to do at this hearing.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE NEW GI BILL
So far, over 25,000 veterans have applied for the post -9/11 GI Bill. and the numbers of applicants continues to grow.
The post-9/11 GI Bill (or, the new GI Bill) will not replace the Montgomery GI Bill put into effect after World War II. Rather, it is an additional benefit specifically focused on veterans who served at least 90 days of active-duty after September 10, 2001. According to the VA, you may be eligible if:
- You served at least 90 aggregate days after 9/10/01, and you still are on active duty;
- You were honorably discharged from active duty;
- You were released from active duty and placed on the retired list or temporary disability retired list;
- You were released from active duty and transferred to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve;
- You were released from active duty for further service in a reserve component of the Armed Forces; or,
- You were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after 9/10/01.
How Much You Get Depends On Your Length Of Active Duty Service . . .
You will receive a percentage of the following benefits, based upon the length of your active duty service:
- Cost of tuition & fees not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education (this is paid to the school);
- A monthly housing allowance that is equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to a military E-5 with dependents, in the same zip code as your school;
- Yearly books and supplies of up to $1,000 per year (paid to you); and,
- A one-time payment of $500 paid to certain individuals relocating from highly rural areas.
Other Details . . .
Your eligibility for these benefits is 15 years from your last period of active duty (at least 90 consecutive days). If you’ve completed at least 30 days of continuous service and then are released due to a disability, you still will be eligible for a period of 15 years.
The Men Behind The New GI Bill . . .
The new GI Bill had two strong advocates behind it, namely Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), and James Wright, president, Dartmouth – both men are former marines. And, both men sought to expand educational opportunities to a new generation of veterans – those who belong to an all-volunteer force and who have been stretched beyond reasonable limits due to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
For more information on the new GI Bill, visit the VA website at:WWW.GIBILL.VA.GOV.
LEGISLATIVE NEWS . . .
Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Legislation Sent to White House – source: www.akaka.senate.gov
Following unanimous approval by the House and Senate, Congress is sending S.407, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009, to the White House. If approved by President Barack Obama, S.407 would protect the value of compensation for veterans and their survivors from potential inflation.
“Millions of disabled veterans and their survivors rely on monthly compensation, and the value of their payments should be protected from potential inflation,” said Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman, Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), author of the bill.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to measure inflation. In the event that the CPI increases, S. 407 would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2009, the rates of:
- Veterans’ disability compensation;
- Dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children; and,
- Additional related benefits.
The cost of living adjustment (COLA) is designed to offset inflation. If the CPI increases, the COLA for the above-mentioned benefits would match the annual increase provided to Social Security recipients. This year’s COLA rate has not been determined, and some predict that the CPI will decrease this year. In the event of a decrease in the CPI, veteran and survivor compensation will remain at last year’s rate.
INCIDENCES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY HIGHER THAN YOU MAY THINK
According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly 1.4 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury each year. Although most survive, traumatic brain injury is the cause of death of roughly 50,000 people.
The Causes . . .
While the leading cause of traumatic brain injury is motor vehicle accidents (including motorcycles) at 38%, at least 28% of all injuries result from falls, while approximately 11% result from assaults (beatings).
The insidious fact about traumatic brain injury is that the trauma does not always appear to be severe. For instance, you could fall down a few stairs and get up relatively unscathed. However, if you hit your head the “right” way, that could be enough to cause serious and sometimes, lasting brain damage.
Often, someone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury might experience symptoms he or she mistakes for something else such as a headache. Additionally, symptoms might not surface immediately after the injury – leaving many to overlook the signs of brain trauma. If you are ever injured, even mildly, look out for the following:
- Headache & dizziness
- Lack of coordination/loss of balance
- Memory loss
- Anxiety
- Difficulty swallowing
- Blurry vision
- Speech impairment
- Weakness and numbness
Seek medical care immediately. Recent estimates reveal that nearly 2% of Americans have a long-term or life-long need for help in performing normal daily activities due to traumatic brain injury. The best prevention is awareness.
HISTORY TRIVIA: WHO WAS THIS GREAT AMERICAN?
Born in Bronx, New York in 1920, she was the child of poor immigrants who won a scholarship to Columbia University Law School. A lawyer and civil rights activist, she fought hard against the House Un-American Activities Committee during the dark McCarthy era. She became a vocal opponent of the Vietnam war and ran for Congress in New York City, a seat she would hold for three consecutive terms.
Answer: Bella Abzug