S. Ill. hospital resumes some outpatient surgeries

[May 13, 2008]  ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Southern Illinois Veterans Affairs hospital has resumed some outpatient surgeries, more than eight months after its entire surgical unit was shut down because of a reported spike in post-surgical deaths, officials said Monday.

The change was announced in a one-sentence statement saying low-risk, outpatient surgeries resumed last week. The procedures include knee arthroscopies, prostate biopsies, vasectomies and hernia repairs.

The VA halted all surgeries at the Marion, Ill., last August after it found that at least nine deaths between October 2006 and March 2007 were "directly attributable" to substandard care.

In 34 additional cases the VA investigated, 10 patients died after receiving questionable care that complicated their health, officials said. Investigators could not determine if the actual care caused those deaths.

Becca Shinneman, a spokeswoman at the hospital, said "a couple" procedures have been performed since last week. She wouldn't elaborate, citing patient confidentiality, but said they were "very successful."

There was no immediate timetable for resuming more complicated, inpatient surgeries at the hospital, which serves thousands of veterans from southern Illinois and parts of Indiana and Kentucky.

In January, separate reports by the medical inspector of the Veterans Health Administration and the VA inspector general described the hospital's surgical program, before it was shut down, as being in disarray and having shoddy administrative oversight.

Inspectors found that hospital employees undertook many surgeries they were ill-equipped to handle, and that hospital administrators were too slow to respond to problems.

Interim administrators have been in place since September. The site's director, chief of staff, chief of surgery and an anesthesiologist were moved to other positions or placed on leave. The anesthesiologist has since quit.

Warren Hill, the hospital's interim director, has said the hospital reassessed its oversight policies and provided additional training.

Stan Heller, a Chicago cardiologist-turned-attorney whose law firm represents four families of people who have died at the facility, said he needed more specifics about the changes before he could discuss Monday's announcement.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who last month voiced frustration that the Marion hospital still has no permanent leadership, called resumption of the outpatient surgeries encouraging and pledged Monday to "continue to keep a close eye on their progress."

In November, Durbin and his Illinois colleague -- U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama -- introduced legislation meant to improve hiring and quality-control at VA medical sites.

[Associated Press; By JIM SUHR]

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