Dear Friends:Below please find an article posted today in the Miami Herald and the referenced letter from the article that I sent to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. I encourage you to forward this Email to any veterans, or family of veterans, that you know so we can help get the word out. The VA needs to ramp up its efforts to make sure that everyone who could possibly have been infected is told of their risk and given proper testing and treatment. Until each and every veteran is contacted we must continue to do our part too, so thank you in advance for getting the word passed. If you believe you may be affected or need additional information, please call the Special Care Call center at 1-877-575-7256 (available, 24 hours a day, seven days a week) or E-mail the VA at: http://ros-lehtinen.congressnewsletter.net/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=clickthru&gpiv=2100039452.15357.179&gen=1&mailing_linkid=2700--IleanaThe Miami HeraldPosted on Fri, May. 15, 2009 Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen blasts VA response to infections
By FRED TASKERftasker@MiamiHerald.comU.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, on Thursday wrote to U.S. Secretary of Veterans' Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki expressing alarm that almost one-third of veterans who may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV by improperly cleaned colonoscopy equipment at the VA's Miami hospital have not responded for testing. ''Previously, I have expressed to you my serious concerns regarding the exposure of over 3,348 veterans to several potentially deadly infections,'' her letter states.
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