Noteboom The Law Firm

Zablocki VA Medical Center Suspends Surgeries

December 17, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has had a difficult year with sterilization in their medical and surgical centers. The Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee stopped all medical procedures 2 weeks ago. The service suspension was based on an employee's concern the medical equipment had not been properly sterilized. The VA has yet to explain why they decided to halt procedures as they did.

According to the Chief of Staff at the Zablocki Medical Center, no extreme departure from their standard operating procedures occurred. He went on to say the reason medical services were suspended was because the hospital was erring on the side of safety. The doctors and physicians who work at Zablocki are referring their patients to other area hospitals. Many of those VA doctors also work at those local hospitals.

The Zablocki VA Medical Center is providing medical care to approximately 140 veterans in its acute care unit. Over the course of a year, the VA provides health services to approximately 55,000 veterans. The medical center is carrying out certain procedures but its operating rooms will likely not open until at least today or early next week.

While they have been closed, thousands of pieces of equipment have been sterilized through a very time consuming process. Every tool, device, and piece of equipment must be sterilized and wrapped for use. This isn't the VA's first experience with the possibility of unsanitary medical equipment, but closing an entire medical center may have been the only way to protect patients.