Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Pentagon chief orders medical care review amid problems at hospital

Hagel speaks during the opening of the "National Reading of the Names" ceremony in Washington Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered a comprehensive review of the U.S. military's healthcare system on Tuesday after the head of an Army medical center was relieved of command over concerns about problems at the hospital, including two deaths. The 90-day review, to be led by the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, comes amid an investigation of timely access to care in the separate medical system for U.S. military veterans. Rear Admiral John Kirby, the top Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement the review would examine "whether current access to care meets the department's standards" as well as "the safety and quality of care provided to all Department of Defense beneficiaries." The announcement of the review came after the commander of Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was relieved of his duties on Tuesday, several weeks ahead of time. The problems at the Fort Bragg medical center, one of the Army's busiest hospitals, come at a time of heightened concern about medical care for military personnel and retirees after the Department of Veterans Affairs started a probe of treatment delays at its hospitals and clinics.








via Health News Headlines - Yahoo News http://ift.tt/1nzgHOS

No comments:

Post a Comment