Congressional hearings begin for Walter Reed Army Medical Center

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs on Monday held a hearing to address concerns about quality of care and living conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, during which Army officials "acknowledg[ed] ... that they have failed in the care of wounded veterans," the Los Angeles Times reports (Neuman/Schreck, Los Angeles Times, 3/6).

Several senior military commanders testified during the hearing. Maj. Gen. George Weightman, who was fired as commander of Walter Reed last week, apologized to soldiers and their families "for not meeting their expectations, not only in the care provided, but also in having so many bureaucratic processes" (Abramowitz/Vogel, Washington Post, 3/6). He added, "I failed. We can't fail one of these soldiers or their families, not one. And we did" (Los Angeles Times, 3/6). Weightman said that systems designed to monitor patient satisfaction had failed to catch problems at the facility. He cited an anonymous survey conducted at Walter Reed in January that showed 90% satisfaction among patients regarding case workers and physicians (Heilprin, AP/Chicago Sun-Times, 3/5). Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley -- surgeon general of the Army and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command, who previously served as commander of Walter Reed -- also apologized for conditions at Walter Reed during the hearing. He said, "Simply put, I am in command. And as I share these failures, I also accept the responsibility and the challenge for rapid corrective action." Kiley said that he had not asked Congress for money to correct the problems because he did not think the problems were financial in nature. He said the outpatient care system is "complex, confusing and frustrating" and that more medical staff are being brought in to handle the increasing patient case load (Flaherty, AP/Austin American-Statesman, 3/6).

Congressional Comments
Lawmakers "expressed skepticism that the generals had been unaware of the problems until they were spotlighted by the media two weeks ago," the Post reports. Subcommittee Chair John Tierney (D-Mass.) said, "I have to tell you, the first thing that pops into my mind is: Where've you been?" (Washington Post, 3/6). Tierney added, "Where does the buck stop? There appears to be a pattern developing here that we've seen before: First deny, then try to cover up, then designate a fall guy. In this case, I have concerns that the Army is literally trying to whitewash over the problems." Lawmakers at the hearing also expressed concern that the problems at Walter Reed are indicative of nationwide issues at military hospitals (Coile, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/6). House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said the conditions at Walter Reed are "the tip of the iceberg of what is going on all around the country," adding that veterans and their families are "flooding" lawmakers with complaints about poor medical care (Los Angeles Times, 3/6). Waxman and other Democrats at the hearing said that a Bush administration push to privatize outpatient care at the facility had led to a decline in quality of care. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said, "A $120 million contract [led to] downsizing and shows that there is an ideology still at work that puts profit ahead of public services. That has to change" (Kaplan, The Hill, 3/6). Two veterans and the wife of an injured Army veteran testified about the conditions at Walter Reed during the hearing.

Government Accountability Office testimony is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the document.

Administration Response
President Bush last week ordered the formation of a review panel to examine military and veteran hospitals nationwide (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/26). Bush on Tuesday announced that former Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) and former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala will lead the investigation (AP/Contra Costa Times, 3/6). Vice President Dick Cheney before the national legislative conference of the Veterans of Foreign Wars on Monday said that Bush "has made our administration's priority very clear to the Congress and to the country: There will be no excuses, only action. And the federal bureaucracy will not slow that action down." He added, "We're going to fix the problems at Walter Reed, period" (Washington Post, 3/6).

Future Action
Kiley said renovations currently are under way to fix problems at Walter Reed. He also said that investigators have been sent to 11 other military medical facilities across the country to ensure that problems found at Walter Reed are not widespread (AP/Chicago Sun-Times, 3/5). Democratic lawmakers have said they will work to improve health care for retired veterans and increase a White House spending request for funding to care for wounded active-duty troops, the AP/American-Statesman reports. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said, "Our budget will make new or expanded investments in shared national priorities -- from preparing our children for success to honoring our veterans with services worthy of their sacrifice -- within the context of fiscal reality and reforms that will help ensure taxpayer dollars are wisely spent" (AP/Austin American-Statesman, 3/6).

Broadcast Coverage

• NPR's "All Things Considered": The segment features an interview with VA Secretary Jim Nicholson (Block, "All Things Considered," NPR, 3/6). Audio of the segment is available online.
  
• NPR's "All Things Considered": The segment includes testimony from Weightman; Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Shannon; Annette McCleod, the wife of an injured National Guard member; Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.); and Tierney (Raz, "All Things Considered, "NPR, 3/5). Audio of the segment is available online.
  
• PBS' "NewsHour": The segment includes testimony from Kiley; SPC. Jeremy Duncan; Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.); Waxman; Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.); Weightman; McCleod; Shannon; Davis; and Tierney (Holman, "NewsHour," NPR, 3/5). Audio of the segment is available online.
  
• WAMU's "Diane Rehm Show": The program includes a discussion with Washington Post reporter Anne Hull, Post intelligence correspondent Dana Priest, Disabled American Veterans Executive Director David Gorman and Linda Blimes, a professor of public finance at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (Rehm, "Diane Rehm Show," WAMU, 3/6). Audio of the segment will be available online following the broadcast.