Ethical Patient Care for Veterans Act of 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5399, introduced by the gentleman from Tennessee, Dr. Roe. This bill would ensure that physicians of the Department of Veterans Affairs fulfill the ethical duty to report impaired, incompetent, and unethical healthcare activities of their colleagues.
I appreciate the gentleman bringing this issue to our attention. It is another instance of the many ethical and legal imperatives that VA physicians are under while serving those who have dedicated themselves to protect our freedoms.
All physicians have a duty to report impaired colleagues who continue to practice, despite reasonable offers of assistance. This obligation appears in professional guidelines and in laws and regulations governing the practice of medicine. All physicians are accredited by the American Medical Association, and their policy states, and I quote: ``Physicians have an ethical obligation to report impaired, incompetent, and unethical colleagues.'' The Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States' policy on physician impairment states that physician health programs have ``a primary commitment to help state medical boards . . . protect the public . . . These programs should demonstrate an ongoing track record of ensuring safety to the public and reveal deficiencies if they occur.''
The physicians who care for our veterans take their duties and oaths to help their patients very seriously, and I am glad for this opportunity to reiterate the topnotch quality care that the VA provides each and every day.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, this is one of the final opportunities that I will have to discuss veterans legislation on the floor with my colleague, Chairman Miller, who appears to have stepped off the floor at the moment. I want to offer my sincere gratitude for his leadership on the committee.
I think it is fair to say that we have not always agreed on the best path forward, but I think this bill demonstrates our ability, the ability of this committee to put aside our differences and get things done for America's veterans. The Veterans' Committee has long been a model of bipartisanship at a time where cooperation can be hard to come by. I appreciate the chairman's commitment to continuing that tradition, and I wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career.
I have no further speakers, and I do encourage my colleagues to support this legislation and join me in passing H.R. 5399.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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