Claims she is "100% sure" the hospital has corrected sterilization problems.

NOTE from Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org ... Every now and then a VA official says something so dazzlingly stupid that I can't let it go by without taking a swing.

The statement below by Rebecca Wiley, director of the Augusta VA facility, falls into that category.

Ms. Wiley is "100% sure" that her hospital has corrected sterilization issues that may have infected eight veterans with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

In the practice of medicine there is no such thing as "100% sure." 

In this case, there are too many different sets of human hands in the sterilization process to guarantee there will be no further errors.

However, if Ms. Wiley is so certain ... I'm sure she won't make any more veterans sign informed consent paperwork that tells them one of the risks of an endoscopic procedure is infection.  Right, Becky?

Don't count on it!

For a complete background on the VA's sterilization problems, view our Contaminated Equipment page.

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Augusta VA head: Sterilization problems fixed

Associated Press

JESUP, Ga. (AP) - The director of the Veterans Affairs medical center in Augusta says she's "100% sure" the hospital has corrected sterilization problems that may have exposed some patients to infectious body fluids.

Rebecca Wiley spoke Wednesday at a hearing on veterans' health care conducted by Sen. Johnny Isakson in Jesup.

She said workers cleaning medical equipment at the hospital have undergone monthly inspections and no problems have been detected.

The Augusta VA notified about 1,000 veterans treated at its ear, nose and throat clinic last year that they may have been exposed to infectious fluids because of improperly cleaned endoscopic equipment.

More than 9,000 patients receiving colonoscopies at VA hospitals in Miami and Murfreesboro, Tenn., were also exposed to improperly cleaned equipment.

A small number have tested positive for HIV or hepatitis.

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TOPICS: veterans, veterans' benefits, VA, Department of Veterans' Affairs, endoscopic, colonoscopy, contaminated equipment, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV