ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis congressman is meeting Thursday with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki over sterilization concerns at the John Cochran VA Medical Center.
Democrat Russ Carnahan is a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He has said that during his meeting with Shinseki he will again call for a top-to-bottom review of the St. Louis medical center.
Also Thursday, a VA undersecretary is touring Cochran and meeting with workers and veterans. And a private sector watchdog group called The Joint Commission is inspecting the hospital.
Surgeries at Cochran have been on hold since Feb. 2 after potentially contaminated surgical equipment was discovered. And last year, faulty sterilization at the center's dental clinic raised concerns that 1,812 veterans were potentially exposed to hepatitis and HIV.
