releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20141017031112/http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/denver-va-medical-center-says-operating-rooms-open-for-limited-surgeries
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20141017031112/http://coffman.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/denver-va-medical-center-says-operating-rooms-open-for-limited-surgeries | Denver VA Medical Center says operating rooms open for limited surgeries after contamination issues | 2014-10-14 | 2014 | 2014-10 | Republican | House | CO | Mike Coffman | C001077 | web.archive.org | legacy | After staff members told 7NEWS that the surgical unit at Denver's Veterans Affairs Medical Center would be closed again this week due to contamination issues, VAMC Public Information Officer Dan Warvi, provided an update, saying the hospital's operating rooms are open for limited procedures, and that disposable surgical tools would be used. Warvi released the following statement to 7NEWS: "We have been performing surgical procedures with disposable instrumentation, and now have completed enough resurfacing and sterilization processes to resume doing procedures with our stainless steel instrumentation. We have surgeries scheduled for tomorrow and the remainder of the week. I would ask that you emphasize on-air and on your web page that any Veteran who has a surgical procedure scheduled for tomorrow should go to the Denver VA." Just two weeks ago, the hospital revealed that "trace mineral deposits" on surgical equipment forced the hospital's seven operating rooms within its surgical unit to shut down. It's an issue that could have grave consequences for patients such as Daniel King, who suffers from papillary thyroid cancer. "And if (I) don't get surgery soon, I'm going to be inoperable - Stage 4," said King, a U.S. Army veteran. "I signed up for Vietnam when people didn't say, 'Thank you for your service.' They spit on us and called us 'baby killers' and every name in the book when we had to go through the airport in uniform. It's a whole different culture now. But, we're still being spit on by the government." The Denver VA is trucking in sterile instruments from Ft. Carson, but only for critical surgeries. King called the VA issues a "culture of slackerism." Monday, Colorado Republican Congressman Mike Coffman, also criticized the culture of big bonuses and no accountability within the VA. "Where everybody gets a bonus," said Coffman. "Where nobody's ever fired. Where nobody's ever disciplined. Where we do have patient safety problems. We still have a long way to go, to be able to fix this broken system." Coffman vowed reform is coming from Washington, including a choice option for patients waiting too long to be seen. "So they can go outside the VA system, their choice, and have that choice provider reimbursed under the Medicare rates for whatever services they receive," said Coffman. King hopes it isn't too little, too late. "There are literally thousands of veterans that are going without surgery that need it," he said. "Lately it just seems to be coming unglued." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |