Offe Vets File Complaint Against

[Berta]

email from Jere Berry -National Director here in NY for Operation Firing For Effect

"January 23, 2008

New Haley privacy complaint filed

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/200...aley-priva.html

TAMPA -- A veterans' group has filed a patient privacy

complaint against the Department of Veterans Affairs

regarding a forum held by U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite

at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa last

month.

The complaint by Operation Firing for Effect, a

Rochester, N.Y., nonprofit group that says it

advocates on behalf of veterans, accuses the VA of

violating patient confidentiality at the Dec. 28 forum

by displaying medical records without prior patient

approval.

It's the second complaint about the forum, which

Brown-Waite held to discuss allegations about

unlicensed psychologists at Haley. The first complaint

was filed earlier this month by Jim King, a Republican

political opponent of Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville.

Both the VA and Brown-Waite's office have denied any

breach of confidentiality and called the display of

records at the forum a visual aid.

At the forum, Haley's chief of staff, Dr. Edward

Cutolo Jr., displayed a large pile of patient notes by

unlicensed psychologists. More than 97 percent, he

said, had the appropriate signature signifying a

supervisor had reviewed and approved them.

The actual contents of the notes were not visible to

the audience, and VA officials said nobody

inappropriately viewed them.

Brown-Waite is the ranking member of the U.S. House

Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and

Investigations. A staff member of that committee said

he confirmed the supervisory signatures on the notes

but did not examine the actual contents.

The newest complaint was filed on Jan. 6 with the

Department of Health and Human Services, which can

look into concerns about a breach of patient

confidentiality at a medical facility. It has not yet

responded to the complaint.

"What makes this more egregious is these files are for

individuals being treated for mental and emotional

conditions and any chance of public exposure is

completely unacceptable," said Gene Simes, who heads

Operation Firing For Effect.

Haley is the nation's busiest VA hospital.

-- William R. Levesque, Times staff writer

January 23, 2008 in Hillsborough | Permalink "

[john999]

Brown-Waite voted against mandatory funding for VA medical care. She is no friend of vets. Just talk about supporting the troops and all that crap.