congressional_record: CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2176-2
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| CREC-2004-12-07-pt1-PgE2176-2 | 2004-12-07 | 108 | 2 | 150 | ON THIS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: AMERICA'S VETERANS DESERVE BETTER | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | ALLOTHER | E2176 | E2176 | [{"name": "Dan Burton", "role": "speaking"}] | 150 Cong. Rec. E2176 | Congressional Record, Volume 150 Issue 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004) [Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E2176] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] ON THIS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: AMERICA'S VETERANS DESERVE BETTER ______ HON. DAN BURTON of indiana in the house of representatives Tuesday, December 7, 2004 Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on December 7, 1941, over 2,200 brave servicemen and women sacrificed their lives protecting the freedoms we have come to cherish. Now, sixty-three years after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, America has over 26 million veterans who have selflessly dedicated themselves in service to our great country and sacrificed to guarantee Americans the freedoms we enjoy today. Unfortunately, rather than receiving the full respect they deserve, our nation's veterans are now faced with a recently released Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) directive (VHA Directive 2004-045) that exposes them to tremendous risk. The directive grants optometrists-- non-Medical Doctors (MDs)--in the VA system privileges to perform laser eye procedures under the supervision of an ophthalmologist--a fully trained and certified MD. While I fully understand that the Directive mandates the procedure will be supervised, I am also aware of the fact that supervising a procedure is not the same as actually performing the procedure. As a result, allowing an operation to be performed by a non- surgeon could potentially jeopardize patient safety, and ultimately the quality of care provided to our veterans. As eye health deteriorates with age, more and more older Americans are faced with the need for eye surgery. And just when our aging veterans need this care the most, they are now faced with the prospect of having their surgery performed by someone who hasn't been through intensive surgical education or training. This new policy blatantly imposes a substandard level of health care on our veterans. Currently, only one state--Oklahoma--permits optometrists (non-MDs) to perform laser eye surgery, while 35 other states have outright prohibited this type of procedure. In fact, 14 states, including Indiana, have debated and soundly rejected similar measures--seven states in this calendar year alone. But regardless of individual state restrictions, the DVA directive allows an eye care professional to practice anywhere in the VHA system, ``up to the limits'' of their license. As a result, optometrists with no formal surgical education or training will be able to go to Oklahoma, take a 16 hour course, pass the Oklahoma optometry certification exam, and then go anywhere in the country and practice laser eye surgery on any veteran in any VHA facility. Thus, in states that have prohibited this type of threat or rejected Oklahoma-like legislation, optometrists will be practicing surgery on veterans against the wishes of state lawmakers. As a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, I find it shocking that this practice has been allowed to come this far. And I'm not alone in my belief that medical doctors who are specifically trained to reduce surgery-related risks should be the only ones legally permitted to carry out these delicate laser eye procedures. In fact, in a national poll of U.S. veterans, 95 percent said it was important for a licensed medical doctor, specializing in eye care, to conduct eye surgery. Any medical operation has the potential to cause adverse affects. In older populations--such as those served by VHA facilities--the rate of adverse events tends to increase for any surgical procedure. Therefore, it makes no sense that this very population--those most in need of a medical doctor's training and education to determine the safest surgery for their overall health--be needlessly exposed to the very real threat of having a non-MD operate on them. It should be our highest priority as American citizens to help ensure the safety of those who have so proudly and bravely defended our great country. All U.S. veterans deserve to have quality health care performed by medical doctors with the proper education and training. ____________________ |