Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Faulty Dental Sterilization St. Louis-VA Exposes 2,000 Veterans HIV, Hepatitis

Full Article at: UPDATE: Faulty dental sterilization reported at veterans hospital in St. Louis
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
BY JIM SALTER/The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS — "A St. Louis VA Medical Center has urged nearly 2,000 veterans to return for blood tests because inadequately sterilized equipment may have exposed them to viral infections such as hepatitis C and HIV during dental procedures.

The Department of Veterans Affairs sent out letters Monday to 1,812 people who had dental procedures at the John Cochran VA facility from Feb. 1, 2009, through March 11 of this year. The VA said quality reviews determined that some sterilization steps involved in preparing dental instruments were not in compliance with standards, creating a low risk of infection."

Former VA Lawyer Accused of Stealing from Mentally Incompetent Veterans

Full Article at: Lawyer, wife accused of stealing from vets

By BRIAN ROGERS

"A Houston lawyer and his wife appeared in federal court Tuesday, accused of stealing more than $2 million from military veterans.

Joe Phillips, 71, and Dorothy Phillips, 70, who managed her husband's small law office, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson, charged with conspiracy, misappropriation by a fiduciary, making materially false statements to a federal agency and tax fraud, according to federal officials.

Phillips, a former employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston, is accused of stealing from mentally incompetent veterans.