Letter to Dean Martinez, Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)

Letter

Durbin And Obama Seek Assurances During Investigation Of Dr. Veizaga-Mendez

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent a letter to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Dean Martinez expressing their concerns with Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez practicing in the state of Illinois and urging the IDFPR to disclose what action they are taking to protect the health and safety of patients in Illinois during the course of this investigation.

"While we commend the IDFPR for initiating an investigation of Dr. Veizaga-Mendez, we understand that the next hearing in this investigation is not anticipated until December 2007 and would like to know what action the Department is taking to protect the health and safety of patients in Illinois during the course of this investigation," the Illinois members wrote. "Please promptly inform us about the current status of Dr. Veizaga-Mendez's license to practice medicine in Illinois. Please also inform us of any steps the IDFPR will take to ensure that no further Illinois patients are endangered pending the outcome of the IDFPR's investigation of Dr. Veizaga-Mendez."

On August 31, the Department of Veterans Affairs suspended all inpatient surgeries at the medical center due to an unusual increase in deaths. Four top hospital officials have been reassigned until an Inspector General investigation is completed. During the investigations, questions have arose about a surgeon, Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez, who was allowed to practice medicine at the facility until August 2007 despite having to surrender his license in Massachusetts after numerous cases of malpractice.

On October 11, Durbin and Obama sent a letter to the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Gordon Mansfield asking questions regarding the background check that was performed on Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez who has been linked to some extent to the recent spike in deaths at the Marion VA Medical Center. A cursory check of publicly available information by staff members from both Senate offices uncovered questionable information that should have raised red flags and prompted additional investigation by the VA.

In an October 3 meeting with Senator Durbin, Dr. Michael Kussman, Under Secretary of VA for Health and Dr. Gerald Cross, Principal Deputy Under Secretary insisted that the VA could not have known that Dr. Veizaga-Mendez had surrendered his license under circumstances that were more troubling than the non-disciplinary and voluntary conditions he claimed.

Both Senators Durbin and Obama have actively pressed the VA for information on the situation at the Marion VA Medical Center. Last month, they sent a letter to Jim Nicholson, who was serving as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, asking specific questions about the VA's response to the increase in deaths at the center. They also asked why Dr. Veizaga-Mendez, who had been barred from practicing in another state, continued to practice at the Marion VA Center until August.

This followed a September 17 letter to Secretary Nicholson, sent by Durbin and Obama, asking for more information on the ongoing investigation. In the letter, they also sought assurances that the travel and scheduling needs of any veterans who must now be redirected to other facilities to receive their needed surgeries will be facilitated.

October 16, 2007

Secretary Dean Martinez

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
320 W. Washington
Springfield, IL 62786

Dear Secretary Martinez:

We are writing with great concern regarding Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez, who has been licensed to practice medicine in Illinois since 1973, and his potential role in the unusual spike in deaths of surgical patients at the Marion, Illinois Veterans Administration Medical Center during a six-month period from 2006 to 2007. While we commend the IDFPR for initiating an investigation of Dr. Veizaga-Mendez, we understand that the next hearing in this investigation is not anticipated until December 2007 and would like to know what action the Department is taking to protect the health and safety of patients in Illinois during the course of this investigation.

We have strong reason to caution against Dr. Veizaga-Mendez practicing in the state of Illinois. He has already surrendered his license to practice in Massachusetts pending allegations by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine of gross incompetence and malpractice. Furthermore, a cursory examination of his record by our offices has raised serious concerns about his fitness to practice medicine, yet we have learned recently that Dr. Veizaga-Mendez is now seeking a license to practice in North Dakota.

Please promptly inform us about the current status of Dr. Veizaga-Mendez's license to practice medicine in Illinois. Please also inform us of any steps the IDFPR will take to ensure that no further Illinois patients are endangered pending the outcome of the IDFPR's investigation of Dr. Veizaga-Mendez.

We also appreciate your responses to the additional questions about licensing standards and practices, which are enclosed.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

Barack Obama
United States Senator

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