The management and care at VA hospitals have increasingly been the center of many news stories and medical malpractice cases in the last several years. Despite scrutiny and regulations to ensure standard of care, hospital negligence still occurs at VA hospitals. A Wisconsin VA hospital has recently become the center of a negligence claim and possible medical malpractice by one of its employed dentists.
It has been discovered that for a period of a year a VA dentist did not adhere to policy regarding dental equipment. The VA requires its dentists to use sterile disposable equipment, but instead, per his preference, he used his own equipment, cleaned it and reused it. It has been reported that the dentist demonstrated his awareness of the policy by his proper use of the VA’s disposable equipment during his orientation. A substitute dental assistant was the whistle blower of the dentist’s disregard for the VA’s regulations.
As a result of the dentist’s negligence, 592 veterans are being notified that they may been exposed to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV. The medical director is offering free screenings and treatment to all who were potentially exposed. The inspector general has received the case for consideration of criminal charges against the dentist. The dentist is still employed in an administrative roll but does not perform direct patient care.
Patients that receive an unfortunate diagnosis of a chronic illness due to a medical professional’s negligence are entitled to seek compensation for damages. Proof will have to be made that the Wisconsin VA did not provide the accepted standard of care for successful litigation. There is a short time frame for the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims, and personal injury attorneys are willing to review potential cases and advise patients accordingly.
Source: breitbart.com, “Veterans at Wisconsin VA Hospital May Have Been Infected with Hepatitis, HIV“, Katherine Rodriguez, Dec. 1, 2016
