VA Hospitals Included in Nuclear Experiments Probe

The Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday that it is opening an investigation to learn whether patients at VA hospitals in the 1940s and 1950s were used improperly in nuclear medicine research projects.

The probe, announced by Veterans Affairs Secretary Jesse Brown, follows decisions by the Defense Department and the Energy Department to review files to learn the scope of such experimentation.

“We plan to leave no stone unturned in our review of this research,” Brown said in a statement.

He added that the investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding nuclear medicine research at VA facilities.

“If we find that veterans were subjected to improper research, that would be morally and ethically unacceptable to me,” Brown said.

“We are going to look at all the facts, and if we determine that VA was engaged in any inappropriate research, we will disclose that finding to the American people, notify veterans involved and take appropriate action,” he said.

Brown said the VA is asking veterans’ service organizations to make their members aware of the situation.

Veterans who are concerned should call the VA toll free at 1-800-827-1000, Brown said.

The White House has summoned officials from the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Energy and from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to meet with Clinton Administration officials Monday in order to coordinate a review of files on the experiments.